﻿FAUNA. 
  331 
  

  

  back, 
  and 
  the 
  average 
  size 
  may 
  be 
  given 
  at 
  about 
  eight 
  

   to 
  ten 
  inches. 
  The 
  Emys 
  serrata 
  is 
  rather 
  smaller. 
  

  

  The 
  Snapping-turtle, 
  or 
  Glielonura 
  serpentina, 
  has 
  the 
  

   thinnest 
  shell 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  ; 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  met 
  with 
  

   one 
  quite 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  the 
  full 
  grown 
  Emys 
  terrapin. 
  

  

  The 
  Soft 
  Shell, 
  Trionyx 
  ferox, 
  is 
  very 
  flat, 
  has 
  a 
  long 
  

   pointed 
  nose, 
  no 
  external 
  shell 
  proper, 
  the 
  skeleton 
  being 
  

   invested 
  with 
  a 
  thick, 
  gelatinous 
  cartilage. 
  It 
  measures 
  

   frequently 
  twelve 
  or 
  fourteen 
  inches 
  across 
  the 
  back, 
  and 
  

   of 
  all 
  our 
  turtles 
  is 
  esteemed 
  the 
  greatest 
  delicacy. 
  

  

  The 
  Emys 
  terrapin 
  is 
  also 
  much 
  in 
  demand, 
  and 
  both 
  

   are 
  extensively 
  used, 
  and 
  find 
  a 
  ready 
  sale 
  to 
  steamboats 
  

   and 
  restaurants. 
  

  

  The 
  Gopher, 
  Testudo 
  pdlyphcemus, 
  is 
  an 
  inhabitant 
  of 
  

   our 
  pine 
  flats, 
  near 
  the 
  sea-shore, 
  and 
  is 
  rarely 
  seen 
  much 
  

   north 
  of 
  the 
  thirty-first 
  degree 
  of 
  north 
  latitude. 
  It 
  

   attains 
  considerable 
  size, 
  and 
  possesses 
  sufficient 
  strength 
  

   when 
  full 
  grown, 
  it 
  is 
  said, 
  to 
  walk 
  off 
  with 
  a 
  man 
  stand- 
  

   ing 
  upon 
  his 
  back. 
  The 
  largest 
  I 
  have 
  seen, 
  however, 
  

   did 
  not 
  measure 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  foot 
  in 
  diameter. 
  He 
  was 
  

   invested 
  in 
  a 
  thick 
  elastic 
  carapace, 
  the 
  sutures 
  of 
  which 
  

   separating 
  the 
  plates, 
  or 
  bosses 
  much 
  depressed. 
  

  

  The 
  gopher 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  burrow 
  ten 
  or 
  twelve 
  feet 
  in 
  the 
  

   sandy 
  soil, 
  and 
  is, 
  therefore, 
  not 
  easily 
  taken, 
  except 
  

   when 
  found 
  roaming 
  abroad. 
  

  

  An 
  ingenious 
  mode 
  of 
  capturing 
  him, 
  which 
  is 
  prac- 
  

   tised, 
  was 
  related 
  to 
  me. 
  A 
  common 
  box 
  terrapin 
  is 
  

   used 
  for 
  the 
  purpose, 
  being 
  sent 
  into 
  the 
  gopher's 
  hole, 
  

   from 
  which 
  he 
  is 
  speedily 
  driven 
  out; 
  but, 
  in 
  the 
  eager- 
  

   ness 
  of 
  pursuit, 
  the 
  gopher 
  frequently 
  follows 
  him 
  so 
  far 
  

   above 
  ground 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  cut 
  off 
  from 
  his 
  retreat 
  and 
  

   captured 
  by 
  the 
  waiting 
  hunter. 
  

  

  Numbers 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  taken 
  to 
  the 
  fashionable 
  water- 
  

  

  