Vol. 31, pp. 89-92 June 29, 1918 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF ni i: 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SNAPPING TURTLE AND A 

 NEW LIZARD EROM FLORIDA. 



BY LEONHARD STEJNEGER. 



j Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.] 



Mr. Nelson R. Wood, the well-known bird taxidermist of the 

 U. S. National Museum, has collected a number of interesting 

 reptiles from time to time on and near his farm at Auburndale, 

 Polk County, Florida. On account of the freshness of the 

 material which was received either alive or quite recently pre- 

 served, it has been possible to recognize distinctions from pre- 

 viously descrihed forms, which were not obvious in the older 

 specimens from Florida in the collection of the Museum. 



Chelydra osceola, sp. nov. 



Diagnosis. — Similar to Chelydra serpentina, but central laminae of cara- 

 pace relatively much witler, width of third central being one-third the 

 length of the five centrals together, or more; knobs of dorsal keels located 

 nearer center of lamina;; four small chin barbels. 



Range. — Pinellas, Osceola, Brevard and Polk Counties, Florida. 



Type. — I'. S. National Museum, No. 10369; Clearwater, Pinellas County, 

 Florida, September, 1879; S. T. Walker, collector. 



Remark*. — Seven Florida specimens of different sizes (length of cara- 

 pace from 12:'. to 305 mm.) are easily differentiated from typical Chehidra 

 serpentina, as represented in the National Museum by a large series of 

 specimens from all over its range on the mainland of North America, by 

 the characters mentioned in the diagnosis. Of these the first one, viz. , 

 the excessive width of the central lamina- may be the persistence of a 

 juvenile character and may therefore be less perceptible in young speci- 

 mens. The more anterior location of the dorsal keel knobs which is so 

 noticeable on all the laminae, but more particularly on the fifth central, 

 on which the knob rises nearly in the middle, is not a juvenile character, 

 however, tor in all the mainland specimens examined by me, the oldest 



<&— Pboc. Biol. Soc. Wash.. Vol 31, 191S. (89) 



