Description of the Species of Noi^tJi American Tortoises. 

 By Major J. L e C o n t e of the U.S. Army, F. L. S. ^. 



Read December 7, 1829. 



Notwithstanding all that has been written on the subject 

 of American Tortoises, they appear to be as yet but imperfectly 

 known. It is therefore hoped that this endeavour to reduce 

 our knowledge of these animals to some degi'ee of certainty, 

 will be favorably received. It is not offered as any thing per- 

 fect, but merely contains descriptions of such species as have 

 fallen under my own observation. Many more undoubtedly 

 yet remain to be described and named, and there is reason, 

 to believe, from certain scarcely reconcileable differences ob- 

 served in one or two species, that some confusion yet exists 

 in the determination of their true characters. 



I have enumerated and described in this paper, exclusive ol 

 two that I do not consider well established, seventeen species ; 

 two more than have been attributed to this country ; and, at 

 the same time, have shown as having no existence, ten thai 

 had been received by the highest authority in Europe. It 

 is to be hoped that the most scrupulous caution, as well as 

 the long time, and the minute attention devoted to a favorite 

 subject, have made me avoid many errors which others have 

 fallen into. 



In Daudin's Natural History of Reptiles, which contains the 

 descriptions of fifty species of this genus, collected from all 

 parts of the world, fifteen at least are non-entities, being either 

 extremely young, and therefore having no character, or else 

 mere varieties. Fourteen of his species are inhabitants of thi?; 

 country, but two of these are duplicates of others. Schoepfl" 

 has done better, but of the twenty-four species which he 

 describes, three should be stricken out. More detailed of)- 



