Reptiles and Amphibians of Illinois. 221 



some of the states between the Mississippi River and the Rocky 

 Mountains. A few specimens have been taken in Illinois, one 

 of which is in the museum of the Northwestern University, at 

 Evanston. 



Fairfield, Wayne Co. (Nat. Mus.). 



EMYS, BrONCtNIART. 

 Brongniart, Mdm. des savants (Strangers, 1805. 



Carapace moderately convex. Plastron large, separated 

 into two parts by a transverse, movable articulation between 

 the pectoral and abdominal plates; articulation with the cara- 

 pace cartilaginous. Wings of pectoral and abdominal plates 

 small or wanting in adults. Axillary and inguinal plates pres- 

 ent or the latter wanting. Digits 5-4, with interdigital webs. 



The single American species belonging to this genus dif- 

 fers from the other members of the genus as described by 

 European authors in lacking the inguinal plate. Our species 

 agrees in some of its generic features with members of the 

 genus Cistudo, but it may be known from any species of that 

 genus by its elongate shell, notched upper jaw, and emarginate 

 posterior end of the plastron. 



Emys meleagris, Shaw. Blanding's Tortoise. 



Testudo meleagris, Shaw and Xodder, Viv. Nat., 1793, pi. 144. 



Cistudo hlavdingii, Holbrook, X. A. Herp., 1842, I., p. 39, pi. 3.— 

 Storer, Boat. .Jour. Nat. Hist., 1840, III., p. 14.— De Kay, 

 Nat. Hist. N. Y., I., Zool. III., Kept, and xVmph., 1842, p. 25, 

 pi. 1, fig. 2.— Kennicott, Trans. 111. State Agr. Soc, 1853-54, 

 I., p. 591. 



Emys meleagris, Agassiz, L., Contr. Xat. Hist. U. S., 1857, I., 

 p. 442; II., pi. 4, fig. 20-22.— Davis and Rice, Bull. 111. State 

 Lab. Nat. Hist., I., No. 5, 1883, p. 57; Bull. Chicago Acad. 

 Sci., 1883. 



Length of carapace about seven inches, highest at about 

 the middle, with a slight notch behind, margins flared anteri- 

 orly and at the sides posteriorly. Nuchal plate small, elongate 

 in adults, wider in young examples. Caudal plates directed 

 obliquely downward and backward. Plastron large, elongate 

 sub-elliptical, its posterior margin broadly cut out. Gular 



