584 THE BOX TORTOISES OF NORTH AMERICA— TAYLOR, vouxvii. 



On the south it adjoins or overlaps the territory of T. hauri and T. 

 trimiguis, while on the west it overlaps the T. trkmguis and T. ornata 

 for a comparatively short distance. Its principal characters remain 

 constant whether the specimens be taken from the Atlantic coast, the 

 mountains of Pennsylvania and Teunessee, or the prairies of Ohio and 

 Indiana. Specimens from Kentucky and Tennessee exhibit certain 

 peculiarities in color markings. These peculiarities have been discussed 

 fully under the specific characters of T. Carolina. 



Terrapene mexicana is at once distinguished by its tectiform carapace, 

 rudimentary quadratojugal, and the number of phalanges. Several 

 authors have reported this species from the City of Mexico, and Bocourt 

 mentions one specimen as from Tampico, Mexico — the most northerly 

 locality reported. These meager data would hardly justify me in out- 

 lining its range. 



Terrapene triunguis in many respects shows a peculiar distribution. 

 Eoughly speaking it may be said to occupy the swampy districts of the 

 Lower Mississippi and bordering territory. It is found in the southern 

 half of the State of Mississippi, and passing into the extreme south- 

 western portion of Illinois is found as far north as St. Louis, Mo.; 

 thence west in the Osage River Valley in eastern Kansas; thence south- 

 west to the Arkansas Rivei- and its tributaries in Indian Territory; 

 thence to Matagorda Bay bordering the gulf from the Rio Grande to 

 Alabama. This species is characterized by its rudimentary triangular 

 quadratojugal, its number of phalanges and webless digits, three claws 

 on the hind foot, its keeled carapace with its slight median depression. 



Both Dr. Baur and O. P. Hay inform me that in southwestern Arkan 

 sas and central and eastern Indian Territory specimens are often found 

 which are greenish yellow and without spots, but marked individuals 

 are also present in the same region. Specimens from Louisiana are 

 rather small, having a dwarfed appearance, and are somewhat peculiar 

 in their markings. Their osteological characters, also, are somewhat 

 variable. However, typical specimens of the species are found in this 

 region. 



Terrapene ornata is found from the Rocky Mountains east to Lake 

 Michigan and Indiana, south to the Ozark Mountains, and east to west- 

 ern Indian Territory and central Texas, and from the Rio Grande River 

 north to the Yellowstone River. This species may be said to belong to 

 the plains and the table-lands. In Kansas, where it becomes extremely 

 numerous, Prof. Cragin speaks of it as so abundant as to become a 

 nuisance as a cumberer of the ground. It seems to subsist and thrive 

 in our most arid climates, being found in the sand hills of Nebraska 

 and the barren regions of New Mexico and Texas. In its geographical 

 distribution it seems to be governed more by soil, rainfall, and vegeta- 

 tion than latitude. Throughout all its range it is characterized by the 

 entire absence of the quadratojugal, the possession of only two pha- 

 langes in each digit in the forefoot, its broadly oval carapace, Avith a 

 median ridge but without keel, a plastron widest across the abdominal 



