RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



Reptiles and Batrachians of Rhode Island. 



BY HERMON C. BUMPUS. 



Number IV. 



9. Chelopus insculptv s (Le Conte) Cope. 

 {Glyptemys inscxdpta Agassiz.) The 

 Sculptured or Wood Tortoise is found abun- 

 dantly in our rivers, and is often surprised 

 in pastures and woods some distance from 

 any water whatever. When thus found it 

 is leisurely crawling along, or feeding on 

 the leaves of some favorite plant, until, dis- 

 turbed, it suspends its labors and meets the 

 intruder with hisses of detiance. On ex- 

 amination the shell is seen to be composed 

 of very distinct, concentricallj' sculptured 

 and brown-rayed plates ; a prominent ridge 

 being formed along the back hy successive 

 longitudinal prominences. Below, the 3'ellow 

 plastron is divided into twelve portions, 

 each bearing in its posterior and outer cor- 

 ner a large black blotch, around which is a 

 series of suture-like grooves, parallel with 

 the general contour of the plate. The 

 lower side of the limbs, neck, and tail 

 presents a most beautiful orange color, 

 well blending with the other shades of the 

 bod}'. In size the Sculptured Turtle some- 

 times rivals the " Snapper," specimens hav- 

 ing been captured whose shells measured 

 nine inches in length, though the}' seldom 

 exceed seven or eight. This species is 

 peculiar in its distribution ; while I have 

 found them ver}' common about the Andros- 

 coggin River, in Maine ; in Massachusetts, 

 around Boston and Plymouth, the}' are rare, 

 though in Worcester County they are verj- 

 abundant. 



10. Em}/smeleagris{^-n.A.y9) Cove.. [Cis- 

 tuda Blandingii Holbrook. ) This species is 

 very rarely found in New England, though 

 abundant in its regular habitat, the prairies 

 of Illinois and Wisconsin. A specimen 

 captured in Seekonk, Massachusetts (but a 

 short distance from Rhode Island), by Mr. 

 William Gluey, is. above, of a dark green 

 color speckled with yellow, the shell being 

 convex, rounded, and smooth. Below, the 

 shell has much the coloring of the Sculptured 

 Tortoise, though it lacks the deep notch at 

 the anterior portion, and is chiefly different 

 in that it is provided with longitudinal liga- 

 mental hinges, which connect it with the 

 carapace ; and a transverse hinge, which 



separates the six anterior plates from the 

 six posterior. By means of these hinges 

 the turtle, having drawn its extremities 

 beneath the shell, is enabled to further pro- 

 tect them by closing the "lids" of the 

 plastron. In size it considerably exceeds 

 the following species. 



11. Cistuda Carolina Y^Dyrxnm. (7es- 

 tudo Carolina Linn., Cistudo virginea Agas- 

 siz.) The common Box Tortoise is abun- 

 dantly found in pastures and uplands, while 

 seeking its food of "toad-stools" and 

 " mushrooms." In coloration this species 

 shows great variety, though there are con- 

 stant structural characters. The first four 

 vertebral plates are keeled ; the general 

 margin of the plastron is entire with no 

 deep notches, and has the hinges placed 

 as in Blandingii^ though better developed, 

 enabling the animal to completely enclose 

 itself in its shell. The upper mandible is 

 not provided with the notch which charac- 

 terizes the previous species. The shell 

 measures between six and seven inches in 

 length, and four inches in breadth. 



The Box Turtle, unlike our other cheloni- 

 ans, has an especial dislike for the water, 

 and soon dies if placed in it. As regards 

 its breeding habits, I can learn nothing. 



The longevity' of turtles is remarkable ; 

 the}' seem to live until put to some violent 

 death. Nearly all collected show signs of 

 great age, and often those are captured 

 which carry dates almost incredibly old. A 

 venerable Box Turtle, in the town of 

 Middleboro, Mass., was recently seen which 

 bore dates of the latter part of the last 

 century, as well as successive dates of this. 

 There have since been five generations in 

 the family of the one who fii'st carved his 

 name on the plastron of this respected resi- 

 dent. 



Strange Behavior of a Blue Jay. 



Mr. J. W. BvsKiT, of Michigan Cit}, 

 Ind., writes : " Passing along the street a 

 few days ago. my attention was drawn to a 

 flock of P^nglish sparrows. They were mak- 

 ing a great outcry, and upon closer observa- 

 tion I saw a blue jay had pounced on the flock 

 and had secured one of them in his feet. 

 He flew into a high tree near by, still hold- 

 ing on to the sparrow. AVas it a case of 

 pugilism on the part of the jay, or did he 

 want the sparrow for food ? " 



