62 EMYSPSEUDO-GEOGRAPHICA. 



along the posterior border of the thigh and leg; the nates are brown, with yellow 

 bands. The tail is dusky above, with yellow longitudinal hnes at the side, and 

 yellow below. 



Dimensions. Length of head, 14 lines; length of shell, 6i inches; of sternum, 

 6 inches; length of tail beyond vent, 1 inch. 



Habits. This animal is entirely aquatic; and though frequently seen on fallen 

 trees or rocks that rise above the watei-, yet it only seeks the land in the breed- 

 ing season. It feeds on various small fish, reptiles, &c. 



Geographical Distribution. The Emys pseudo-geographica inhabits many 

 of the rivers that empty into the Mississippi, and is abundant in some, but has 

 never yet been found to the eastward of the Alleghany range of mountains. 



General Remarks. The first account of this animal was given by Lesueur in 

 the "Meraoires du Museum d'Histoire Naturelles,"* and his description is good, 

 though he considered it a variety of the Emys geographica, in which opinion he 

 has been followed by most naturalists; yet that it is entirely a different animal, 

 may be seen by a reference to the tubercles on the vertebral line, to the form 

 of the jaws, to the immense size of the head, which is more than thrice as large 

 as in the Emys geographica, and to its geographical distribution, &c.; and 

 Lesueur seems to have lately come to the same conclusion.t 



* Vide torn. xv. p. 267. t Dum. et. Bib., torn. ii. p. 256. 



