The Terrapins 



These measurements are an average from several hundred 

 examples from Fulton Market, New York. 



As with most of the terrapin, the claws, particularly of the 

 front feet, are very long; the longest claw on the front foot, of 

 a reptile agreeing with the above measurements, was J of an 

 inch long. 



Distrihuiion. — Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee and Mississippi. 

 Large numbers are received at the markets from Illinois. 



HIEROGLYPHIC TERRAPIN 

 Chrysemys hieroglyphica, (Holbrook) 



Shell very flat; carapace of the adult perfectly smooth. 

 Rear margin of the carapace more deeply notched than that of 

 the preceding. In proportion to the size of the shell, the head 

 is very small and narrow. 



Colouration. — Carapace olive-brown, traversed by rather 

 broad, yellow bands that divide it into various-sized areas, each 

 of which contains narrow, concentric lines of yellow. Plastron 

 yellow; a dark blotch on the border of each marginal shield. 



Dimensions. — An adult example has a carapace about 

 twelve inches long; the height of the shell is about three inches. 



Distribution. — Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. 



THE BARRED TERRAPIN; RED-NECKED TERRAPIN; 



COOTER 



Chrysemys concinna, (LeConte) 



Shell broad and flat; bluntly serrated at the rear; carapace 

 furrowed or wrinkled {rugose) on the sides. 



Colouration. — Carapace olive, with numerous, irregular 

 wavy lines and bands extending downward; these are generally 

 edged with a darker hue than the ground colour. There is a 

 yellow, vertical line in the centre of each of the upper, marginal 

 plates, and fine, yellow, ring-like (concentric) markings, cross- 

 ing from one shield to another. Along the lower, marginal 

 shields is a single row of large, dark blotches. Plastron usually 

 uniform yellow. 



The markings on the upper shell resemble those of C. 

 elegans — the Cumberland Terrapin, but the arrangement of 

 the stripes on the head is quite different. 



Head Markings.— H^did black, with rich, orange yellow or red 



36 



