24 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 
GENUS CISTUDA. Fleming. 
Shell gibbous, stout. Marginal plates twenty-four to twenty-five. Sternum oval, with twelve 
plates, bivalve ; both valves movable on the same axis, and connected together by ligament. 
Anterior feet with five nails ; posterior with four. 
THE COMMON BOX TORTOISE. 
CisTUDA CAROLINA. 
PLATE I. FIG. 1.—(STATE COLLECTION.) 
Testudo carolina. L. 12 Ed. p. 352. 
T. claus. Scuaprr, Hist. Test. pl. 7. 
Checkered Tortoise. PENN. Arct. Zool. Supp. p. 79. 
T. clausa et virgulata. Daun. Hist. Rept. Vol. 2, p. 207, pl. 23, fig. 1, 2. 
Cistuda clausa. Say, Ac. Sc. Vol. 2, p. 205. 
C. carolina. Le Conte, Ann. Lyc. Vol. 3, p. 124. 
C. clausa. Harvan, Med. & Phys. Res. p. 149. 
C. carolina. Dum. & Brsron, Vol. 2, p. 210. 
Cwaid. Storer, Mass. Rep. Hotproox, Herpet. Vol. 3, p. 9, pl.1; and Vol. 1, p. 31, pl. 2, of Ed. 2da. 
C. clausa. KirtLanp, Zool, Report of Ohio, p. 188. 
Characteristics. Shell hemispherical, elevated. Upper jaw hooked. Vertebral plates sub- 
carinate. Sternum entire behind. Length 5 — 7 inches. 
Description. Anterior vertebral plate carinate ; the three middle vertebral plates hexagonal, 
sub-carinate ; the fifth pentagonal, smallest. First lateral plate quadrilateral ; the second 
largest. Marginal plates in this specimen, twenty-four ; this is noticed by Merrem as unusual, 
but I have seen it in three or four specimens. The anterior marginal plate very small, linear. 
Sternum smooth, entire behind ; the plates on the anterior lid smallest; scapular and brachial 
plates triangular; the others oblong, sub-quadrate. Posterior valve concave, not quite so 
flexible as the anterior, but sufficiently so as to enclose completely the animal. Fore feet 
with large and strong scales in front, and smaller ones behind, with short robust claws, of 
which the two medial were longest. Hind feet also with large scales, and four somewhat 
longer claws. Head stout, nostrils contiguous with the upper jaw, sometimes emarginate. 
Neck long. ‘Tail short, conical. 
Color. Shell with a dark brown ground, upon which are numerous irregular stellated marks 
and dashes, with occasional confluent blotches. Head, neck and extremities of a light lemon 
yellow, with irregular black stripes on the summit of the head. Sternum rosaceous, with 
broad irregular blotches of black. 
Ihenethy ofshell; ee se eee eae 6:0. 
‘Bread theirs cee cae cee aes ee 40! 
Height, <meta cas ccoaccee cee nee D225. 
