Ill 



'Tlu' skull is more coiupact than in tin* olbcr repliit'S. Tliere are 

 uo teeth, but the jaws are euiased in horny sheaths, usually with 

 sharp cutting edges; the eye is furnished with two lids aud a nic- 

 titating membrane as in the birds; the tympanic membrane is al- 

 ways present, although sometimes hidden by the skin. Respiration 

 is ellected by swallowing air." 



Turtle, Tortoise or Terrapin? Tlicrc has been an ettort made by 

 some writers to distinguish between Land and Water Turtles by 

 using the word "Tortoise" i'or the former ami "Turtle" for the latter, 

 while the word "Terrai)iu" has been more or less generally used for 

 small Turtles, without regard to delinite reason for application. 

 Among our Peunsylvania species we can find no line of demarcation 

 between terrestrial or land and aquatic or water Turtles; neither 

 can we find justification for applying the term ''Tortoise" to one 

 species in a Family, "Turtle" to another, and "Terrapin" to another 

 of the same Family. We consider the use of these terms as con- 

 fusing, mispleading and unjustifiable. No attempt is made in this 

 Report to confine their application within certain limits. They 

 are therefore to be regarded as synonyms, and consequently uo 

 justifiable reason is to be found for discarding the word "Turtle" 

 for any of our species that belong to the Ordei- Testudinata. It 

 would be very nice, indeed, if all writers and speakers should agree 

 to apply the word "Terrapin" to those species of Turtles which live 

 on really dry land, far away from the water, "Tortoise" to those 

 which live mostly on land, near water, and "Turtle" to those which 

 live in water, but there is really no sharp demarcation between the 

 habits of these different species, and consequently it would in many 

 cases be a very debatable point as to -whether a certain kind of 

 creature should b.e called a "Terrapin," a "Tortoise," or a "Turtle." 

 To avoid this, the last terra is preferred and here used generally. 



Habits of Pennsylvania Turtles: Pennsylvania may have at least 

 eighteen (18) dilVcicut species of turtles within her borders, some 

 of which, such as the famous Diamond-Back, are confined to the 

 eastern margin of the f^tate, and others, such as Agassiz's Turtle, 

 are to be found only in the extreme western ]>art of the Common- 

 wealth. These turtles would represent the two distinct faunal areas 

 of the Eastern Atlantic slop*' and the MiRsissij>pi X'alley, separated 

 by the Allegheny mountains. There are some species, such as the 

 Painted Turtle and the Margined species, that are closely allied in 

 appearance and habits, and yet almost sharply separated in distri- 

 bution by the mountain system. 



The turtles live in damii places such as swamps and ponds, except 

 the common Box Turtle, which prefers hills and dry slopes. In 



