380 TURTLES OF GENUS MALACLEMYS—HAY. 
In 1831 Dr. J. E. Gray, in his Synopsis Reptilium, p. 31, published a 
description of a species which he called Emys lesueurii. This supposed 
new species was founded on either a specimen of geographica or on one 
of what Holbrook afterwards called pseudogeographica. Dr. Gray him- 
self, in all his subsequent publications, wrote down the name lesueurti as 
a synonym of geographica, although previously to the publication of his 
Catalogue of the Shield Reptiles he did not recognize Le Sueur’s pseudo- 
geographica as being distinct from the earlier described geographica. 
In 1857 Louis Agassiz, in his Natural History of the United States, 
arranged both the species referred to under the genus Graptemys. Of 
his Graptemys lesueurii he says: *‘ This species is commonly called Emys 
pseudogeographica, but the specific name Le Sueurti is older. It is evi- 
dent from his reference that Gray at first applied the name of Emys 
Le Sueurii to this species, and not to Gr. geographica; now Gray calls 
it also Hmys pseudo-geographica.” Since that time Prof. E. D. Cope, in 
his Check List of 1875, employed the name used by Holbrook, but Mr. 
F. W. True, in Dr. Yarrow’s Check List or 1882, adopted Agassiz’s sug- 
gestion and called the species Malacoclemys lesueurti. 
Since now the name by which we are to know the species called by 
Le Sueur and Holbrook pseudogeographica depends on what Gray had 
before him when he described his Hmys lesueurii, it becomes necessary, 
if possible, to determine that matter. More certainly depends on that 
than on Gray’s references to any previous writings. 
Among other differences existing between the two species of Mala- 
clemys referred to here, is one which enables us in all cases to distinguish 
them. This is found in the form of the yellow spot which lies on the 
side of the head just behind the eye. In JM. geographica this spot 
is broad, rather triangular, and elongated in the direction of the head. 
In the other species the spot is a transverse streak, running behind the 
eye and sometimes curving forward below it. Now, in his description 
of Emys lesueurii, Gray has this language: “'Temporibus macula trian- 
gulari notatis.” At the end of his description he further says: ‘“‘ Hmys 
geographica of Le Sueur agrees with the museum specimen, except in 
that the first vertebral plate is not urn-shaped, and Le Sueur does not 
notice the triangular temporal spot.” In that remark we have evidence 
that Gray had before him but a single specimen and that that specimen 
had the “ear-mark” of geographica. We further learn why he described 
it as different from Le Sueur’s species. That Gray was at this time 
aware of the existence of Le Sueur’s manuscript name appears from the 
following words at the end of the description: 
“#, Seutello vertebrali primo urceolato.” Emys geographica, Lesueur, Jour. 
Acad. N. 8. Phil. t. Emys pseudogeographica, Lesueur Mss. (Mus. Paris.). 
This is probably the reference that Agassiz alludes to, and it is hard 
to see why Gray introduces it here; but it no more proves that he had 
Le Sueur’s pseudographica in mind than the other species. Indeed, he 
