EMYSRETICULATA. 43 



only of which are furnished with nails. The tail is short, thick, scaly, and pointed 

 at the tip. 



Colour. The shell is dark brown, with a yellow vertical line from its anterior 

 to its posterior extremity. All the plates of the shell are marked with yellow lines; 

 those of the vertebral and lateral plates run frequently into each other, and finally 

 descend perpendicularly through each of the marginal plates, dividing them into 

 anterior and posterior portions. These lines communicate so frequently as to 

 give a reticulated appearance to the shell; they are often less distinct on the 

 vertebral and lateral plates than is represented in the accompanying figure, which 

 was drawn from a specimen of great beauty. On old shells, these lines are 

 nearly obliterated, or are only brought into view when the shell is moistened; nor 

 can they be traced as continuous with those of the marginal plates. 



The sternum is yellow, as well as the inferior surface of the marginal plates, 

 the fourth and fifth of which, and sometimes the sixth, are marked with an 

 oblong or round black spot; below these spots on the wings is a broad black bar. 

 Much variety, however, exists in this marking; frequently only two of the marginal 

 plates have the black spots, and a third is placed on the posterior part of the wings; 

 at others the wings are marked with a black bar alone, and there are no spots on 

 the marginal plates. 



The anterior extremities are black above or dark brown, marked with a broad 

 longitudinal yellow band continued to the toes, the webs of which are also yellow; 

 the inferior surface is dusky, and marked with transverse yellow bands and bars; 

 these are by far the more numerous and distinct about the shoulder. The posterior 

 extremities are dusky above, with large bands and blotches of yellow; the posterior 

 surface of the thigh is yellow, with transverse bars. The tail is black, with three 

 longitudinal yellow lines; the margin of the vent is yellowish. 



The skin of the head and neck is dark brown on the superior surface, with 

 numerous small longitudinal yellow lines. These lines vary in extent; some reach 



