CATALOGUE OF VERTEBRATES. 637 



ORDER CHELONIA. 



(TESTUDINATA.) 



Family ZMYDID^E. 



Pond Turtles. 



CI8TUDO, Plem. 

 O. Carolina, L. (virginea.) Common Box Turtle, or Tortoise. 



Carapace very convex ; plastron divided by transverse hinge 

 into two or more movable pieces ; toes hardly webbed ; colors 

 variable, chiefly blackish, variegated with yellow. Live in dry 

 woods. 



"A very abundant species, that should be encouraged in every 

 garden in the State, as they wage an unending war against a 

 multitude of noxious creatures. The habit of cutting initials 

 upon the shell of this animal has resulted in proving it to be an 

 animal of long life. Instances of this, showing the animal to 

 have been from fifty to eighty years of age, have come under the 

 notice of the writer." [C. C. A.] 



CHELOPUS, Raf. 



C. nmhlenbergii (Schw.), Cope (Calemys Abbott's Catalogue). Muh- 

 lenberg's Tortoise. Water Turtle. 



Carapace elongated, arched ; plastron immovable ; toes short, 

 with small web ; habits semi-aquatic ; size small ; no round 

 spots on shell ; upper jaw deeply notched ; orange spot on each 

 side of neck ; plastron black, with central yellow ; carapace 

 brown, with yellow markings. Length, 4i inches. 



u Equally abundant with N.' guttatus, and generally found 

 associated with it. They feed upon fish, and are inoffensive in 

 every way." 



