160 



neck. The lower stripe is met behiad the corner of the mouth by a stripe 

 from the middle of the lower jaw. At the tip of the jaw a stripe begins 

 which further back divides into two, these including another yellow stripe. 



The length of the shell may become as much as 16 inches. 



The species ranges from North Carolina to Texas and north to Southern 

 Indiana. Prof. Harry Garmau, of Lexington, Ky. , states {61, 1892, 

 185), that he received a fine, large specimeu of this species from Dr. J. 

 Schneck, of Mt. Carmel, Ills.; and he further says that several others 

 have been observed in the same locality. The species will, therefore, be 

 found along the lower part of the Wabash River, and possibly further 

 north . 



This species may always be readily distinguished from all others by the 

 smooth edge of the upper jaw and the serrated edge of the lower. 



Habits. — Not much appears to be known about the habits of this ter- 

 rapin. It is quite common in the waters of the more southern States. 

 Mr. Fred. W. True, of the National Museum, states (52 i, 155), that it 

 seems to prefer brackish waters. Their diet consists principally of animal 

 matter, and they are reported, in the South, to feed on certain species of 

 worms, which they capture by inserting their claws into the worm-holes in 

 the clay. This seems extremely doubtful. Agassiz found twelve eggs in 

 the oviducts of one specimen. The eggs are of an elliptical form, about 

 an inch and a half long and an inch in the shortest diameter. 



Chrysemys troostii, (Holb.). 



Emys <roos<u, Holbrook, 1842, 54, i, 123, pi. 20; Trachemys troostii, 

 Agassiz, 1857, 4> h 485; Pseudemys troostii, Cope, 1875, 12, 5-3 ; Chrysemys- 

 troostii, Boulenger, 1889, 84, 76. 



Shell only moderately depressed ; said by Holbrook to be " greatly de- 

 pressed." There is only a trace of the keel in the adults. Behind the 

 bridge the shell flares outward, but not so much as in C. hieroglyphica. 

 The posterior border is only slightly serrated. The upper surface is, in. 

 adult specimens, somewhat wrinkled. The plastron has a broad shallow 

 notch behind. The bridge is wide, but does not rise much toward the 

 carapace. The longest suture of the plastral scutes is that between the 

 abdominals, the shortest that between the humerals. The head is rela- 

 tively small, flat above, and pointed. The cutting edge of the upper 

 jaw is convex on each side, with a slight nick in front ; the alveolar ridge 

 is low and smooth. Lower jaw ending in a turned up tip. Fore and 

 hind limbs well developed ; the digits all completely webbed ; the claws of 

 the fore foot of the males very long and curved. The tail of the males 

 very long. 



The ground color of this species may be regarded as greenish horn- 

 color above, yellow below. The scutes of both the carapace and the 



