3SO 



CHELONIA 



CHAP. 



which stand so closely together that they form almost median 

 patches. 



The carapace is rough. The horny shields become very thin 

 with ase. The anterior margin of the small nvichal and the 

 neighbouring marginals is faintly serrated. The posterior 

 maro'inals form slis-ht notches or indentations between their 

 edges. The plastron is almost square behind. Tlie edges of the 



/3orr'/M«j^>:fi 



Fig. 77. — Chrysemys concinna, in its 

 third summer, x 1. 



^^'■rr',^i^„jc 



Fig. 78. — Chrysemys concinnu. in its 

 third summer, x 1. 



jaws are nearly smooth, without hook and receiving-notch. Tlie 

 tail is short. 



This species inhabits the South-Eastern States of North 

 America, from Missouri and Nortli Carolina to the Gulf of 

 Mexico. Very large female specimens have a shell sixteen inches 

 in length. Tlie eggs measure from 33 by 25 to 39 by 25 mm. 

 or about I J inch in the long diameter. 



Emys. — The plastron is movably united to the carapace by 

 ligament, and in the adult has a sliglitly flexible hinge across the 

 middle, between the hyo- and hypo-plastral plates and the pectoral 

 and abdominal shields. The plastron is large, but does not quite 

 close the box. Besides the small nuchal there are twelve pairs 



