8o NATURE STUDY. 



plate. They also have very fine lines, called striae, Avhich 

 form more or less regular rings around a common center. 

 It is because of these lines and delicate rings that scientists 

 have named this turtle insculptus — which is Latin for en- 

 graved or carved. The under shell or plastron is also com- 

 posed of plates, which are always in pairs. Count them, 

 and learn to compare the size of each pair in the different 

 species that j'ou find. The scientific name of the wood 

 turtle is Klcinmys insciil ptiis^-\:\&\\vcays being a Greek 

 word meaning tortoise. 



Compare a painted turtle with the wood tortoise. No- 

 tice that each plate is greenish black, but paler at the 

 edges. This gives the appearance of light-colored stripes 

 running lengthwise and crosswise between the plates. The 

 marginal plates are .splashed with bright red, and the un- 

 der shell is yellow. Sometimes the plates of the plastron, 

 or under shell, are blotched with brown. The light-colored 

 stripes, the bright red splashes, the yellow plastron and 

 the brown blotches give this turtle the appearance of be- 

 ing painted, hence its common name. Its scientific name 

 is Chrysemys picta — from a Greek word meaning gold and 

 a Latin word meaning painted. 



There are several other .species of turtles in New Eng- 

 land, and west and south many more ; Vjut this is already 

 a long lesson. Perhaps it will help to show that the harm- 

 less, clumsy turtle is really an interesting creature and de- 

 serving of more attention than it commonly receives, even 

 from people wlio find pleasure in learning about the living 

 things in our woods and fields and ponds and streams. 



