34 KINOSTERNON. 



Gen. 3. KINOSTERNON, Spix. [Kinosternon.) 



Sternum latum antice rotundatum, postice rotundatum vel 

 sub-bilobum; lobus medius fixus, per symphysiu osseum cum 

 testa conjunctus, anterior et posterior plerumque mobiles 

 lobo medio ligamentis articulati ; scutella sterni 11, gulare 

 unicum. 



This genus is at once distinguished from Emijs by the 

 suture which unites the sternum to the shell being only the 

 length of the abdominal plates, and its being covered by 

 the long axillary and still longer inguinal plate ; the sternum 

 is also peculiar for having only 1 1 shields, the front or gular 

 pair being soldered into one, and for being divided across by 

 two sutures into three lobes. The front and hinder lobes 

 move freely on the central one. The sutures are placed be- 

 tween the pectoral and abdominal, and the femoral and ab- 

 dominal plates ; often one or both become obliterated by age, 

 or other circumstances. The marginal plates vary from 20 

 to 23, or 25 ; the side ones are narrow, and the nuchal plate 

 is generally distinct and slender. The chin of the animal is 

 bearded like the Hydraspides, and the end of the tail is often 

 clawed. It consists of part of the genus Terrapene, of 

 Merrem ; Cistuda, of Fiemming ; and includes the genus 

 Kinosternon, of Mr. Bell ; and also part of his genus Sterno- 

 thenis. The species hitherto found all come from America. 



1. K'tnost. scorpioldes, (^Tkree-keeled Kinosternon.) Testa 

 oblonga sub-compressa tricarinata carinis continuis, scu- 

 tellis dorsalibus longe hexagonis sub-imbricatis, sterno lato 

 postice leviter bitido, lobis anticis mediisque equalibus, lobo 

 postico sub-longiore. 



Pennsylvanian Tortoise, Var., Shaw, Zool. 1. 15, (v.t. Mus. 

 Col. Surg.) Test, scorpioides, Lin. Lacep. Quad. Ov. t. 

 (v. t. Mus. Par.) Chersina scorpioides, Merrem. Emys 

 scorpioides, Schw. Test, tricarinata, Daud. Kinosternon 

 Shavianum, Bell. Terrapene triporcata, Wiegmann? Kin. 

 longicaudatum, Spix, t. 12.? 



a. Acuta, sterno postice acuto integro, t. f. (v. t. 

 Mus. Brit.) 



Jun. Testudo Retzii, Daud. Emys Retzii, Schw. (v. t. 

 Mus. Par.) Emj/s tricarinata, Schoepf. t. 22. cop. Shaw, 

 Zool. ii. t. 11. Terrapene tricarinata, Merrem, 28, (v. 

 Mus. Bell, Col. Surg ) 



