230 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



other stone, beneatli which there is a cavern and in this 

 cavern crawles the white grub, to all appearances an ob- 

 ject dear to the hearts of finny wanderers. But woe to 

 the luckless fish that swims within the reach of those 

 yawning jaws!" 



The strength of the jaws of this turtle is enormous. 

 The specimen from Caruthersville — of which I have given 

 the dimensions above — would, when teased with a broom 

 stick, break it in two. 



Subfamily Kinosternoidae. 



Head large, pointed in front; snout projecting. Eyes situated far 

 forward. Lower jaw terminating in a sharp point. Neclc completely 

 retractile within the shell. Carapace elongate, convex, smooth. Plastron 

 moderately large, rounded in front, truncate or slightly emarginate 

 behind. Limbs slender. Feet short. Digits moderately developed and 

 webbed. Five fingers and four toes with claws. Tail terminating with 

 a nail. Males with a patch of small horny, keeled tubercles ©n the 

 hinder side of the leg and another below the thigh. 



Key to the Missouri Genera. 



Plastron narrow, its hind lobe not more than one-half the width 

 of the carapace. Wings of abdominal plate narrow, not grooved 

 behind. Head of moderate size, with no plate above. 



Aro7nochelys. 



Plastron wider, its hind lobe considerably wider than one-half the 

 carapace. Wings of abdominal plate wide, with a deep groove 

 behind. Head large with a rhomboidal plate above. 



Kinosternon. 



Genus aromochelys. 



Two species of Aromochelys occur in the State of Mis- 

 souri, distinguished from each other as follows : 



T^YO yellow stripes on side of head from tip of snout, above and 

 beneath the eye, to the neck. Carapace of adult not keeled. 



odorata. 



Two yellow stripes on side of head, one from snout above the eye 

 to the neck, the other from above the angle of the jaw to the 

 neck. Carapace in adult not keeled. tristycha. 



