124 Species of North American Tortoises. 



In old individuals the joint in the sternum becomes obso- 

 lete. 



Inhabits with the last, which it entirely resembles in habits 

 and odour. The synonyms quoted to this species show more 

 plainly the absurdity of the proposed divisions of the tortoise 

 family than any thing which I can say. I therefore omit the 

 considerations which would obviously present themselves to 

 the mind, and leave every one to draw his own conclusions. 



15. Testudo clausa. 



Rotunda, gibbosissima : testa carinata, utplurimum, nigi'a, vel 

 fusca, flavo-variegata. Sternum ad testam membrana junc- 

 tum, bivalve, valvis antice et postice singulatim claudentibus, 

 et testam arete obserantibus. 



Testudo caroliniana, Schneider 33. No. 7. T. virginea, 

 Grew Mus. tab. iii. fig. 2. T. Carolina of most authors. T. 

 virgulata, Daudin, is the same. Cistudo clausa, Say, loco ci- 

 tato. Terrapene clausa, Merrem. Terrapene Carolina, T. ma- 

 culata, T. bicolor, T. subulosa, Bell Zool. Journ. No. VII. are 

 the same. Chequered tortoise, Pennant Arctic Zool. Sup. 79. 

 Land turtle of the northern states ; Pine-barren tarapin of the 

 southern. 



Shell round or oval, very gibbous, almost hemispherical, ca- 

 rinate, entire, dusky or brownish yellow, with spots or stripes 

 of yellow or greenish, the stripes disposed in radii ; and con- 

 versely ; most generally also with concentric striae.' First ver- 

 tebral plate pentagonal, urceolate, second, third and fourth 

 hexagonal, all of them more or less angled on their anterior 



