11 



TRIO^YX.—Geofroy de St. Hilaire. 



Genus Trionyx. — Characters. Carapace with an osseous disk in the centre, 

 from the sides of which project bony tubercles or ribs; beyond these the margin 

 is cartilaginous, flexible; mandibles furnished with thick lips at the sides; snout 

 prolonged; anterior extremities with five fingers, pahnate, the three internal 

 furnished with nails; posterior, with five toes, palmate, the three internal with 

 nails. 



TRIONYX Y^ROX.—Schneider. 



Plate I. 



Characters. Head elongated, oval; snout greatly prolonged; neck very long; 

 body covered above with a strong cartilaginous shield, entire, with numerous 

 short spines or tubercles on the anterior margin, and several knobs near the 

 posterior border; above, umber coloured, with irregular dusky blotches; abdomen 

 beautiful white, and marked with numerous red blood-vessels; anterior extremities 

 with five palmated fingers, the three anterior only furnished with nails; posterior 

 with five toes fully palmated, the three internal with nails. 



Stnonymes. Soft-shelled Turtle, Pennant, Phil. Trans, for 1771, vol. Ixi. p. 268, pi. x. 

 figs. 1, 2, 3. 

 Testudo ferox, Schneider, Schildk., p. 330. 



Testudo ferox, Gmeliii, Syst. Nat. Lin., torn. i. part iii. p. 1039. 

 Soft-shelled Turtle, Bartram, Travels in Carolina, &c., p. 177. 

 La molle, Laceplde, Quad. Ovip., torn. i. p. 136, not the figure. 



