122 



This species is described as follows : 



Body fiat, nearly circular; carapace not completely ossified; cara 

 pace and plastron covered by a thick, leathery skin, flexible at the 

 margin. Head long and pointed, with a long, flexible; tubular 

 snout. Legs well developed, feet broadly webbed, mottled. Toes 

 long, five in front and five behind, claws only three in front and 

 three behind. Front margin of carapace and the back armed with 

 conical tubercles, largest on front margin. Carapace olive, with 

 numerous black rings, smaller rings or dots near the margin. Two 

 pale bands on head, forking at base of proboscis. Carapace widest 

 slightly back of middle, deepest before the middle. Dorsal keel 

 obsolete, recognizable only at the front end. Eye moderate, high, 

 prominent. Mouth with entire jaAvs, lower fitting into upper. Tail 

 conical, robust, depressed above, with a conic, short-pointed tip. 

 Plastron cream colored, a pale yellowish blotch along each side of 

 head above and behind eye narrowly margined with blackish. Iris 

 dull slaty gray. 



The Common Soft-shelled Turtle is found from Canada to Ken- 

 tucky and Minnesota, in the tributaries of the Mississippi, Ohio and 

 St. Lawrence rivers, and in the lakes of Northern New York and 

 the Great Lakes. Nash finds it in all marsh waters of Ontario, and 

 Stone reports it in New Jersey in the Delaware Valley, and also 

 occurring in the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania. This is the most 

 common of the three species of Leather-back Turtles that occur in 

 that State, and we have been fortunate in receiving specimens from 

 our valued contributors, Messrs. E. W. Wehrle, of Indiana, who col- 

 lected several in Indiana count}', and John Custer, of Stoyestown, 

 Somerset county. 



Excepting the Diamond-back, this is considered the most delicious 

 of turtles, and is much sought for food. It is captured by shooting, 

 spearing and baiting hooks with meat, as well as by trapping. 

 They are frequently seen in rows on rocks or logs in the tributaries 

 of the Ohio River, where persons who will not eat that of any other 

 species consider their flesh a delicacy. During calm weather they 

 are often to be seen floating near the surface of the water more or 

 less submerged, sometimes only with the tip of the nose reaching 

 to the air. They rarely leave the water, excepting to deposit their 

 eggs, or bask in the sunshine on partially submerged logs, but when 

 captured fight ferociously and strike and bite viciously. 



They have doubtless been introduced into the eastern part of 

 Pennsylvania through the canal from the Western and Central 

 part of New York. This may also have been the means of its intro- 

 duction into New Jersey, which Fowler says was as early as the late 

 '60'8. 



