TURULES AND BATRACHIANS OF THE LAKE REGION. 489 



5. Pseudemys elegans (Wied). 

 Elegant Turtle. 



This is the rarest as well as the most beautiful turtle occurring about lake 

 Maxinkuekee. Its habitat extends from the Carolinas to Mexico and in the 

 Mississippi Valley northward to Indiana and northwestward to the Yellow- 

 stone. It was described originally from specimens taken near New Harmony, 

 Indiana. According to Dr. Hay it has been found at Mt. Carmel, 111., and in 

 the Tippecanoe at Winamac. At the latter place Dr. Hay obtained a speci- 

 men about July 1, 1892. There seem to be no other Indiana records until 

 now. 



During our several seasons at Lake Maxinkuekee we obtained but one 

 specimen of this turtle. This was secured by Mr. Clark, June 13, 1901, at 

 the south end of the lake near the small spring, where, about 200 feet from 

 shore, the water was about three feet deep and the bottom coveced with 

 Chara. The specimen was a very fine one. The length was about 6 inches. 

 We saw the shell of a second example in a shop in Culver. It had been caught 

 in a trap in Lost Lake, and the carapace was 9.5 inches long and 7 inches 

 across. 



We know but little of the habits of this fine turtle. It is probably en- 

 tirely aquatic. 



It may be known from the following description: 



Shell broad and depressed; carapace serrated behind, a slight emargina- 

 tion in each scute and deeper ones between them. 



Color of carapace, olive; with lines and spots of yellow and black; the lines 

 running mostly lengthwise on the vertebral scutes, and transversely on the 

 costals; a yellow band of varying width down the middle of each costal 

 scute, parallel with other lines and bands of black and yellow, some narrow, 

 some wide ; on the upper and lower surfaces of the marginal scutes are spots 

 consisting of concentric circles of yellow and black, between them a yellow 

 band crossing each marginal; plastron yellow, with a black blotch on each scute, 

 these often ocellated with yellow; spots on bridge usually confluent; head with 

 numerous narrow stripes of greenish or yellow; a broad stripe from under 

 eye extending backward on neck, being met at angle of mouth by a stripe 

 from middle of lower jaw; another stripe, often blood red, from posterior 

 corner of eye running back on neck; legs and tail striped with yellow. 



Length 10 inches or less. 



6. Chryscmys marginala Agassiz. 



Western Painted Turtle. 



The Western Painted Turtle is found from central New York westward 

 through the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley and southward to the 

 Gulf. It is generally common and is abundant throughout Indiana. It is 



