CATALOGUE OF SHIELD REPTILES. 



33 



Testudo picta, Shaw, Zool. t. 10. f. I. 



Seba, Thesawr. i. t. 80. f. 5, young. 

 T. cinerea. Brown, II lust. t. 48, young (dry). 



Shaw, Zool. t. 12. 



Schoepff. Test. t. 3. f. 2, 3. 

 Eniys cinerea, Schweig. Prod. 306. 



Merrem, Tent. 24. 

 Terrapene picta, Bonap. Obs. Cuv. R. A. 158. 

 Cyclemys picta, Wagler, Si/st. 137. 



Hub. North America, iu ponds (never La running water), 

 from Canada to Virginia. 



Far. 1 . Pale-edged, the front of the discal plates broad ; 

 the lateral angle of the second, third and fourth verte- 

 bral plates anterior ; the marginal plates with a yellow 

 central spot and a broad concentric ring above, and 

 a large yellow spot beneath. 



a. Adult animal (dry). Front claws very long, slender. 

 North America. Dr. Mantell's Collection. 



North America. Presented by 



b. Adult animal (dry). 



Dr. J. E. Gray.' 



c. Young (from spirits). 

 Testudo cinerea. Brown. 



f. Adult (stuffed). Claws rather long, slender, acute. 

 North America. Presented by Henry Doubleday, Esq. 



g & h. Adult (stuffed). Three middle claws of front feet 

 very long, slender. North America. 



New York. 



i. Adult (in spirits). Claws moderate, strong. 

 Mr. Brandt's Collection. 



_;'. Half-grown (in spirits). Claws moderate, strong, curved ; 

 sternum with angular spots on inner edge, some having 

 a pale eyed spot in the centre. New York. Mr. 

 Brandt's Collection. 



Osteology : — 

 d. Adult shell. 



North America. 



e. Adult (upper shell only). North America. From Dr. 

 Mantell's Collection. 



Far. 2. The yellow edge to the discal plates narrow, uni- 

 form ; the outer angles of the vertebral plates in the 

 middle of the margin ; the marginal plates with a 

 small central marginal spot and two or three interrupted 

 pale rings above, a large spot and a pale ring with 

 a broad black edge beneath. 



k. Adult (stuffed). Claws short, strong, curved ; sternum 

 plain-coloured. North America. 



/. Adult shell. Sternum with a large central dark blotch, 

 pale Uned and dotted. 



These Tortoises may be seen in great numbers in ponds, 

 basking in the sun on rocks or logs, plunging instantane- 

 ously into the water on the approach of any one. They 



die in a very few days after being taken from the water. 

 The young are more brilhantly coloured than the older 

 ones. — Leconte. 



Wagler regards Eniijs marmorata, Spix, Bras. t. 10, as 

 this species, instead oi E. vulgaris. — Syst. 137. 



2. Chrysemys BeUii. Bell's Emys. 



Shell oblong, solid, rather depressed in the centre, con- 

 vex on the sides, olive, waved with irregular black-edged 

 pale-dotted greenish lines placed on the edge and across 

 the middle of each shield ; vertebrals nearly square, first 

 urceolate, the rest sis-sided ; margin beneath black, yellow- 

 dotted ; sternum flat, surrounded with an irregidar yellow 

 edge ; front edge deeply denticulate. 



Emys Bellii, Graij, Sijn. 31 ; Cat. Tort. B.M. 27. 



" Bum. i^- Bib. Erp. Gen. 302 ; Cat. Meth. 11. 12. 

 E. speciosa, JV. Clift, Cat. Mus. Coll. Surg. no. 1525 (not 



Gray). 

 Emys Origonensis, narla)i,Jmer.Journ.Sci.xxxi.3S2.t\Sl. 

 Ilolbrook, Amer. Ilerpet. ii. t. 1 ; ed. 2. i. 107. t. 16. 

 Gray, Cat. Tort. B.M. 23. 

 U'ied, log. Amer. Sej)t. iii. 303. 



Hab. North America ? Mus. Coll. Surg. 



M.Bibron observes, that he has seen several specimens of 

 this species in the " different Loudon Museums ;" the only 

 one that has occurred to me is the one above described. 



Dr. Uolbrook's figure of Emys Origonensis (t. 21), in 

 the dentated margin, and in the colouring of the sternum, 

 greatly resembles this species, but the back is rather differ- 

 ently coloured, and the sternum is truncated behind. It 

 is probably only an accidental variety. 



tft Toes slender, elongate, covered with small scales or 

 nearly naked, very largely webbed; claws conical, 

 scarcely curved. 



7. PSEUDEMYS. 

 Head moderate, covered with a thin hard skin, ovate ; 

 forehead convex. Eyes subsuperior. Chin flat, not 

 bearded ; branches of the lower jaw dilated, flat, covered 

 with a soft thin skin. Fore legs covered with band-like 

 scales. Toes slender, rather elongate, covered with scales, 

 or with a smooth skin, widely webbed to the end of the 

 toes. Claws 5 '4, acute, rather compressed, straight or 

 slightly curved. Tail moderate. Shell rather depressed. 

 Sternum solid, truncated before, nicked behind, affixed to 

 the thorax by a bony symphysis, covered by the end of the 

 pectoral and abdominal shields ; axillary and inguinal plates 

 moderate, distinct. 



