48 



CATALOGUE OF SHIELD REPTILES. 



B. Head and tail very large ; sterno-costal symphysis 



covered with one or three peculiar plates. 



Emydidse § B, Gray, Cat. Tort. 13. 



a. Sternum cross-like, acute before; sternal plates 10, 

 with a broad one on each side, over the sides of the 

 sternum (the displaced abdominal 1). 



Emydidse §B, Gray, Cat. Tort. 13 (1844). 



17. CHELYDRA. 

 Head large, rugose, covered with a soft skin ; chin two- 

 bearded ; neck very thick, tubercular. Limbs large and 

 strong, tubercular. Tail long, large, with three longitu- 

 dinal series of compressed tubercles. Shell depressed, 

 toothed behind ; marginal scales simple, in a single series. 

 Sternum slender, cross-like, acute at each end, centre coria- 

 ceous ; sternal plates five pairs, very thin, skin-hke, the 

 nanow lateral prolongation of the sternum covered by a 

 peculiar plate (perhaps the removed abdoraiual) ; gular 

 plate small, united into a triangular plate ; marginal plate 

 regular, in a single series. Claws 5 '4. America. 



Chelvdra, Schweiy. Mem. Kamiysb. (1812). 



'Fit:. Syst. Rejjt. 20 (18-13). 



TT'ieym. ^- Ruthe, Handb. 1G6. 

 Chelonura, Flem. Phil. Zool. ii. 2/0 (1822). 



Bell, Zool. Journ. iii. 515 (1828). 



Holbrook, N. A. Hapet. i. 147. 



Bonap. Obs. Cuv. R.J. I/O. 

 Emys § *, Gray, Ann. Phil. x. 210 (1825). 

 Rapara, Gray, Ann. Phil. x. 210 (1828). 

 Emvsaurus (Emysaure), Dum. ^' Bib. Erp. Gin. ii. 349 ; 



Cat. Meth. R. \5. 

 Emysaura, Dmn. ^- Bib. Erp. Gen. ii. 350. 

 " Emydosaurus, Dmn. ^- Bib.," Gray (misprint). 

 Le Saiirochelys (Saurochelys), Latr. Fam. Nat. R. A. 

 Les Chelydes, Cuv. R. A. ii. 12; ed. 2. ii. 13. 



1. Chelydra serpentina. The Alligator Terrapen. 

 Tail with a central scries of compressed tubercles. 

 Beards on neck and chin small. Shell oblong, depressed, 

 centre impressed, doubly keeled, bluntly toothed behind. 

 Younger : Shell three-keeled, hinder edge sharply toothed. 

 —Schoepff. Test. t. 6. 



Chelydra serpentina, Schweig. Prod. 293. 420. 

 Gray, Si/n. Rept. 3G. 

 Wagler', Amph. 136. t. 5. f. 4G, 47. 



C. Lacertina, Schweig. Prod. 293. 



Fit:. Syst. Rept. 29. 

 Testudo serrata, Penn. (not Shaio) Cat. Liverpool Mus. t. 

 T. Serpentina, Linn. Syst. Nat. 351. 



Schoepfj-. Test. t. 6 (young). 



Band. Rept. ii. 98. t. 20. f. 2. 



Shaw, Zool. t. 19. 



Emysaura serpentina, Leconte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. iii. 127. 



Dvm. ^-Bib. Erp. Gen. ii. 350. t. 17. f. 1. 

 Testudo longicauda, Shaw, Mus. Coll. Surg. 

 Serrated Tortoise, Penn. Arct. Zool. App. 46. 

 Alligator Tarapin, Southern States N. America. 

 Loggerhead or Snapping Turtle, Northern States N. Amer. 

 Chelonura (serpentina), Flem. Phil. Zool. ii. 270 (1822). 



Say, Jouru. Acad. Philad. iv. 206. 



Bonap. Obs. Cuv. R. A. 171 (1836). 



Harlan, Amer. Herpet. 81. 



Holbrook, N. A. Herpet. ed. 2. i. 139. t. 23. 



Be Kay, Rept. N. York, 8. t. 3. f. 6. 

 Rapara serpentaria. Gray, Bonap. I. e. 

 Emysaurus serpentina, Bum. ^- Bib. Cat. Meth. R. 15. 



Hab. North America, from New England to Florida. 



a. Y'oung animal (stuffed). North America. Presented 



by Gen. Ilardwicke. 



b. Adult (stuffed). North America. 



c. Young (in spirits). New Orleans. M. Salle's Collec- 



tion. 



d. Half-grown (stuffed). North America. 



e. Adult (stuffed). North America. Mr. Argent's Col- 



lection. 

 h & i. Half-grown (stuffed). North America ; Louisiana. 

 Mr. Smith's Collection. 



OsTKOLOGY. Tab. XXXVIII. fig. 1, Tab. XL. fig. 2, 



skull (half-grown). 

 Tortue serpentine, Cuv. Oss. Foss. v. 185, skull. 



/. Skull (half-grown) . North America. Presented by the 

 Zoological Society. 



g. Skeleton (young). North America. M. Parzudaki's 

 Collection. 



" This species is very voracious in its habits, and destroys 

 great quantities of fish ; it is also more ferocious than any 

 other, and will seize with violence at anything presented to 

 it, and not let go its hold even when the head is separated 

 from the body. The wound inflicted by its bite is very 

 severe. It is much sought after as an article of food : when 

 old the flesh is musky." — Leconte. ^ 



18. MACROCLEMYS. 

 Head very large, covered with numerous symmetrical, 

 smooth, horny j)lates ; chin two-bearded. Neck thick, with 

 large beards, horny at the tip. Tail conical, with a central 

 series of compressed tubercles. Claws 5 • 4, strong. Back 

 • convex, three-keeled, toothed behind. Marginal plates 31, 

 produced, subtubercular, those on the centre of each side in 

 a double series. Skull : nose produced in front ; palate 

 deeply concave. Sternum slender, cross-like, acute at each 



