Reptiles and Amphibians of Illinois. 235 



Anterior lateral angles of gular plates slightly produced. 

 Axillaries and inguinals equal. Head medium, its width con- 

 tained about 6.4 times in length of carapace. Alveolar surface 

 of jaws of moderate width, smooth, inner edges not elevated. 



Carapace greenish olive above, obscurely reticulated with 

 yellow lines. A black spot on each tubercle of the vertebral 

 ridge, and large imperfectly-defined black blotches at the poste- 

 rior edges of costal and marginal plates. Plastron wholly or 

 largely yellow in large examples, in young with a large central 

 area black, lined with pale, and with short rays extending out 

 along sutnres. Head, neck, feet, and tail, striped with yellow. 

 Characteristic marks are as follows: a bright yellow comma- 

 shaped spot behind each eye; a median stripe extending from 

 the snout backward beyond the anterior edges of the spots 

 behind the eyes. A spot on the symphysis of the mandible. 



Carapace of small example, 4.50 inches long, 3.75 wide, 

 1.62 high. 



Throughout the State, but less common north. Quincy, 

 Jersey Co., Wabash Valley (Ridgway), Ohio River, Cairo. 



This species resembles M. geographicus in a general way, 

 but is very different in the size of its head and the width and 

 character of the grinding surface of the jaws. The comma- 

 shaped spots are sometimes isolated, forming large transverse 

 spots. The line which begins on the tympanum in M. geo- 

 graphicus seems to have no counterpart in this species. 



The young appear to take animal food chiefly. Stomachs 

 of some of those examined contained only small gastropod 

 moliusks. One had eaten a worm belonging to the order of 

 Oligochfcta, and a small percentage of vegetable matter. 

 Most of the adults examined (from Quincy) had eaten noth- 

 ing but the bulbs of a sedge {Cyperus phymatodes? ). 



Malacoclenainys geographicus, LeS. Geographic Tor- 

 toise, Map Turtle. 



Testudo geographica, LeS., Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1817, 



I., p. 8H. 

 E my s geographica, Say, .Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1825,1V., 



p. 204. 

 Testudo geographica, LeC, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., 1829, 



111., p. 108. 



