﻿BLANDING'S 
  TORTOISE. 
  407 
  

  

  Emys 
  blandingii 
  (Holbrook). 
  

  

  Blanding's 
  Tortoise; 
  Semi-box 
  Turtle; 
  Speckled 
  Tortoise. 
  

  

  Plate 
  30. 
  

  

  Cistvdo 
  blandingii 
  Holbrook, 
  North 
  Amer. 
  Herp., 
  18.38, 
  ed. 
  1, 
  vol. 
  3, 
  p. 
  3.5, 
  pi. 
  ,5. 
  

  

  Emps 
  blandingii 
  Strauch, 
  Mem. 
  Acad. 
  Sci. 
  St. 
  Petersbourg, 
  1862, 
  ser. 
  7, 
  vol. 
  5, 
  no. 
  7, 
  p. 
  29. 
  

  

  Blanding's 
  Tortoise 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  representative 
  of 
  its 
  genus 
  in 
  the 
  Western 
  Hemisphere. 
  

   It 
  was 
  named 
  for 
  Dr. 
  William 
  Blanding 
  of 
  Philadelphia, 
  who 
  first 
  observed 
  it. 
  

  

  Size. 
  — 
  The 
  measurements 
  of 
  an 
  adult 
  specimen 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  the 
  Boston 
  Society 
  of 
  

   Natural 
  History 
  are: 
  length 
  of 
  carapace 
  in 
  a 
  straight 
  line, 
  6| 
  inches; 
  length 
  following 
  curve 
  of 
  

   same, 
  7f 
  ; 
  width 
  in 
  straight 
  Une, 
  4|; 
  width 
  following 
  curve 
  of 
  carapace, 
  71; 
  height, 
  2f 
  ; 
  sternal 
  

   length, 
  6f 
  ; 
  sternal 
  width, 
  3|. 
  

  

  Color. 
  — 
  The 
  carapace 
  is 
  dull 
  black 
  with 
  many 
  small 
  pale 
  yellowish 
  spots. 
  The 
  plastron 
  

   is 
  pale 
  yellow 
  with 
  a 
  large 
  blotch 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  and 
  posterior 
  portion 
  of 
  each 
  .shield. 
  The 
  head 
  

   is 
  dark 
  brown 
  or 
  black, 
  dotted 
  with 
  yellow, 
  while 
  the 
  chin 
  and 
  throat 
  are 
  a 
  very 
  bright 
  yellow. 
  

   The 
  young 
  are 
  entirely 
  black 
  above, 
  while 
  the 
  plastron 
  is 
  black 
  with 
  a 
  hght 
  edge. 
  

  

  Description. 
  — 
  Important 
  characteristics 
  of 
  the 
  anatomy 
  of 
  this 
  turtle 
  are 
  the 
  Ugamentous 
  

   union 
  of 
  the 
  carapace 
  and 
  plastron, 
  narrow 
  horizontal 
  alveolar 
  surface, 
  the 
  narrow 
  bony 
  sheath 
  

   of 
  the 
  biU 
  which 
  is 
  notched 
  in 
  front, 
  the 
  alveolar 
  edge 
  rising 
  gradually 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  triangular 
  

   emargination, 
  while 
  under 
  the 
  eye 
  it 
  is 
  arched 
  down. 
  The 
  plastron 
  is 
  divided 
  across 
  the 
  middle 
  

   by 
  a 
  sUghtly 
  flexible 
  Ugamentous 
  hinge 
  between 
  the 
  hyo- 
  and 
  hypo-plastral 
  plates 
  and 
  the 
  

   pectoral 
  and 
  abdominal 
  shields. 
  The 
  anterior 
  half 
  is 
  more 
  movable 
  than 
  the 
  posterior. 
  The 
  

   plastron 
  is 
  large 
  but 
  does 
  not 
  entirely 
  close 
  the 
  box 
  as 
  it 
  does 
  in 
  the 
  Box 
  Tortoise. 
  The 
  cara- 
  

   pace 
  is 
  high 
  and 
  globular, 
  somewhat 
  elongated. 
  There 
  are 
  a 
  small 
  nuchal 
  and 
  twelve 
  pairs 
  of 
  

   marginal 
  shields. 
  The 
  head 
  is 
  cylindrical 
  in 
  shape, 
  covered 
  with 
  smooth 
  skin, 
  and 
  the 
  neck 
  

   is 
  long. 
  The 
  temporal 
  arch 
  is 
  complete. 
  The 
  feet 
  are 
  webbed. 
  Young 
  specimens 
  are 
  nearly 
  

   circular. 
  

  

  Holbrook 
  (1842, 
  vol. 
  1, 
  p. 
  39) 
  was 
  the 
  first 
  to 
  recognize 
  this 
  species. 
  His 
  description 
  of 
  a 
  

   specimen 
  from 
  Fox 
  River, 
  Illinois, 
  is 
  here 
  given 
  : 
  

  

  "Description. 
  The 
  head 
  is 
  rather 
  small, 
  smooth 
  above, 
  and 
  slightly 
  pointed 
  at 
  the 
  snout 
  ; 
  

   the 
  nostrils 
  are 
  anterior, 
  and 
  closely 
  approximated 
  ; 
  the 
  eyes 
  are 
  large 
  and 
  prominent, 
  the 
  pupil 
  

   black, 
  the 
  iris 
  hght 
  grey. 
  The 
  upper 
  jaw 
  is 
  broad, 
  the 
  cutting 
  edge 
  sharp 
  and 
  deeply 
  emargi- 
  

   nate 
  in 
  front; 
  the 
  lower 
  is 
  strong 
  and 
  firm, 
  and 
  furnished 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  hook. 
  The 
  neck 
  is 
  long 
  

   and 
  slightly 
  contracted 
  at 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  head. 
  

  

  