6 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



its name. It is found at Lake Baikal, in 

 Siberia, and Pike's Peak, Colorado; also in 

 North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Mt. 

 Desert, Me. 



" Moonstone, or adularia, agrees in com- 

 position and hardness with Amazon stone. 

 It has a pearl}' or silvery reflection not un- 

 like that of the moon, from which it takes 

 its name. It belongs to the cheaper grade 

 of gems, though in some parts of Europe it 

 has at times been much esteemed. The 

 finest specimens come from Ceylon. It is 

 found in this country at Media, Peun., and 

 in Virginia. 



" Sunstone is like moonstone in composi- 

 tion and hardness. It is of a yellowish 

 color, reflecting sparkles of light in various 

 directions, owing to minute particles of iron 

 oxide which are disseminated through it. It 

 is found in Siberia, Norway, and Ceylon, 

 and in the United States in the same local- 

 ities as moonstone. It is also called aveu- 

 turine feldspar. 



" Labradorite, or Labrador spar, is a vari- 

 ety of feldspar of various shades, the kind 

 used in jewelry having a rich blue color. In 

 composition it is a silicate of alumina, lime, 

 and soda, with a hardness of G. It is re- 

 markable for its beautiful play of colors, 

 and its sparkling reflections, like aventurine 

 feldspar. Though generally blue, green, 

 yellow and red kinds arc not uncommon, 

 sometimes pearly gray. Labradorite was 

 first found on the coast of L;d)rador toward 

 the latter part of the last centur}-, but has 

 since been discovered in Norway, Sweden, 

 Russia, Canada, and in this country in New 

 York, Pennsylvania, and various other 

 places." 



Reptiles and Batracliians of Rhode Island. 



BY HERMON C. BUMPUS. 



Number III. 

 5. Aromochelys odorata (Latr.) Gray. 

 (Ozotheca odorata Agassiz, Sternotkmrm 

 odoratus Storer's Report.) The Musk or 

 Mud Turtle is uncommonly but not rarely 

 found. Its small size, the total length be- 

 ing less than six inches, the shell about 

 four; convex eai'apace, with the dorsal row 

 of plates generally slightly keelod ; small 

 plastron, resemblinii; tliat of .serpentina as 

 much as that of either tiic Painted or 



Speckled Tortoises ; and the pointed head, 

 together with the strong odor, render it 

 almost impossible to confound this form 

 with an_y other. 



6. Malacodemmys jjalufitris, (Gmel.) 

 Agassiz. The Marsh or Salt-water Terra- 

 pin is the only representative of our smaller 

 Testudinata which is found away from 

 fresh water. Its long and well developed 

 limbs, which enable it to progress with re- 

 markable speed, both through the water and 

 on land ; its large solid shell, ihe scales of 

 which are beautifully marked with concen- 

 tric striaa, the dorsal row being keeled ; and 

 the ivory-Iikc jaws serve to distinguish this 

 form at a glance from all other turtles. 

 The dimensions are as follows : Length of 

 shell 8 inches, length of sternum 7 inches, 

 tail If inches. The Marsh Terrapin was 

 first brought to the notice of naturalists by 

 a German army surgeon during the Revolu- 

 tionary War, being by him called the Tes- 

 tudo terrapin. A widely extended animal, 

 being found from Massachusetts to Mexico, 

 it is, along the shores of the Southern States, 

 collected in large numbers during the breed- 

 ing season for food. From its exceedingly 

 cautious and timid nature, as well as from 

 its swimming powers, it is not as often cap- 

 tured as turtles equally abundant but of less 

 active habits. 



7. Chrjjseniys j^icta (IIerm.) Grat. 

 The Painted Tortoise is one of our most 

 beautiful reptiles, its bright colors distin- 

 guishing it from the other members of its 

 order. General color above, dark brown, 

 a longitudinal yellow line dividing the ver- 

 tebral plates which are further bordered by 

 similar, though broader, bands. The lateral 

 plates are also similarly marked along their 

 anterior edge, while the marginal plates are 

 concentrically painted with yellow and 

 red. Below, the sternum usually pre- 

 sents an unspotted uniform bright yellow 

 color, though a specimen captured in Crans- 

 ton, by the writer, was of a beautiful 

 purple. This is one of our most common 

 turtles, hundreds, sunning themselves, being 

 seen during a short ride on the cars through 

 the more swampj' portions of the state. 

 J. A. Allen, in his -'Catalogue of the Rep- 

 tiles and Batracliians of Massachusetts," 

 speaks of this species as the one whose shrill, 

 piping note is heard, especially on rainy 

 days, during May and June. It is quite pos- 



