4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 71 



TERRAPENE CANAUCULATA Hay 



Plates 2, 3, 4, and 5 



Terrapoie canaUculata Hay, O. P., Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 23, 1907, 

 p. 850, figs. 5-7 ; Fossil Turtles of N. A., Carnegie Institution of Washington, 

 1908, pp. 363-364, figs. 463-465. 



Terrapene antipex Hay, O. P., 8th Ann. Rept. Florida Geol. Survey, 1918. 

 pp. 58-61, pi. 4, figs. 4, 5 ; pi. 5. figs. 1-5. 



In 1907 Dr. O. P. Hay established a new species of box turtle, 

 Terrapene canalicul-ata on some fragmentary remains, No. 5500,'^ 

 United States National Museum, found on either Whitemarsh or 

 Skedaway Island, below Savannah, Ga. Since its establishment 

 nothing has been contributed to a further knowledge of the species 

 and it was therefore of interest to find in the collections made in 

 Florida by the joint Amherst-Smithsonian Paleontological Expedi- 

 tion of 1925, and by Dr. J. W. Gidley in 1926, four well-preserved 

 specimens which may be attributed to this little known species. 



A study of these specimens in conjunction with the type now gives 

 a comprehensive understanding of the entire shell structure, and 

 for the first time adequately establishes the species. Furthermore, a 

 study of this new material in conjunction with the type and other 

 specimens attributed to Terrapene antipex by Hay, from the Pleisto- 

 cene of Florida leads to the conclusion that all are one and the same 

 thing and consequently T. antipex becomes a synonym of T. canaU- 

 culata which has priority by several years. 



The identification of the present specimens with the fragmentary 

 type of T. canaUculata rests upon the large size of the individuals, 

 the presence of a sharp longitudinal keel running from the free 

 border of the anterior peripherals to that of the posterior periph- 

 erals; the development of a gutter-like groove above the keel, which 

 is especially pronounced on peripherals four and five; the decided 

 outward flare of the posterior peripherals, a development that begins 

 on the seventh, and the relatively thick bone forming the shell. The 

 more detailed comparison of the above-mentioned specimens will be 

 found in the description to follow. 



The species Terrapene antipex Hay was founded on fragmentary 

 parts of carapace and plastron pertaining to several individuals of 

 which a complete posterior plastral lobe. No. 8,820 U.S.N.M., was 

 selected as the type. This specimen was collected at the now famous 

 Vero locality. Saint Lucie County, Fla., and it was at this same 

 locality that two of the specimens. No. 11,330 U.S.N.M. and No. 

 25-144 Amherst College, here referred to Terrapene, camxiliculata 

 Hay were found. The large size of these Terrapene specimens at 



' Not catalogue No. 8211 U.S.N.M. as originally given by Hay. 



