Species of North American Tortoises. 125 



faces, fifth pentagonal ; first lateral plate four-sided, narrower 

 on the upper face, and curved on the lower, second oblong- 

 pentagonal, third and fourth four-sided, the latter narrower 

 above, the two superior angles nearly obliterated ; interme- 

 diate marginal plate very small, linear or oblong, generally 

 projecting beyond the others, the rest quadrangular, some of 

 them approaching to the pentagonal form, the ninth, tenth and 

 eleventh frequently revolute. Sternum entire, joined to the 

 shell by a membrane, bivalve, both the valves moving on the 

 same axis, smooth, yellow, dusky, or dark brown, or mixed 

 yellow and dusky, or dark brown spotted with yellow ; scapu- 

 lar and brachial plates triangular, the latter with their apices 

 truncate ; pectoral and abdominal oblong, rectangular ; femo- 

 ral and caudal triangular, the former with the apices truncate. 

 Head and neck varied, or striped, or spotted with black, or 

 dusky, or brown, and yellow or red ; throat black, or yellowish 

 cinereous, or dusky, with a few red or yellow spots, or striped 

 with yellow. Legs and tail scaly, dusky or cinereous, fore legs 

 spotted with yellow, particularly above, hind legs with a few 

 spots of red or yellow on the hind part and beneath, or en- 

 tirely yellow beneath ; tail short, with a few yellow spots on 

 the top. Upper jaw generally emarginate ; irids red or yellow. 

 Feet palmate, five-toed ; claws, 5-4. 



Plates of the margin twenty-five ; of the sternum twelve. 



Length, six inches ; height, two inches and a half. 



a. Very dark brown, obscurely spotted with yellow, with a 

 few radiating lines of the same : sternum very dai'k brown 

 with a few blotches of yellow : top of the head yellow ; jaws 

 varied with yellow and black ; neck yellowish-cinereous spotted 

 with yellow. 



/3. With larger and more distinct spots of yellow, some of 

 them confluent and subradiating. Sternum yellow : jaws 

 yellow striped with black, top of the head mostly yellow ; 



