54 THE VIVARIUM. 
The following Terrapins are suitable for confinement in this 
country. The Mud Tortoise (£. lutaria), already referred to, is a 
very pretty and lively little creature. Its carapace, which is 
black and marked with yellow rays, is oval and rather flat. The 
plastron, which is movable both in front and behind, is attached 
to the carapace by means of cartilage. The tail is long and round 
and tapers to a point. It is said that the tails of the males are 
thicker at their base and shorter than those of the females. 
When full grown, these Tortoises are about 10in. long. They 
‘are found in Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Algiers, the 
South of France, Hungary, Germany, in the Crimea, etc. 
The Caspian Terrapin (£. caspica) owes its specific title, as 
will be naturally concluded, from its inhabiting the neighbour- 
hood of the Caspian Sea. Canon Tristram says that it is very 
common in ‘‘all the streams and marshes” of the Holy Land, 
‘and especially in Lake Huleh (the Waters of Merom).’”’ In 
the adult animal the oval carapace is smooth, but in the young 
there are three ridges, or two grooves, running the length of the 
shell. The colour of the back is a light olive, reticulated with 
pale yellow lines edged with black. The tail is long, round, and 
pointed. The plastron is black, dotted with yellow spots, which 
increase in size as the animal grows. It has rather an unpleasant 
smell. This Reptile is sometimes more than 1ft. in length. 
E. sigriz has no little resemblance to the Caspian Terrapin. 
It differs, however, in wanting the three ridges and the reticula- 
tion of the carapace. In the centre of each plate there is a spot 
of yellow surrounded by black. The plastron is of a brownish 
colour, and has a light yellow band along the margin. This 
Tortoise is considerably smaller than £. caspica. It is found in 
Spain, Morocco, and Algeria. 
Besides the European Terrapins, the Carolina Box Tortoise 
(Cistudo Carolina), which is illustrated at Fig. 35, and the 
Chicken Tortoise (/. reticulata), both from North America, and 
several others may be kept easily in captivity in this country. 
The Carolina Box Tortoise is a beautiful Terrapin, but it de- 
cidedly prefers dry land to water. It and its near relatives are 
called Box Tortoises, because, with the assistance of their plas- 
tron, which is movable both before and behind, they are able 
