REPTILES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 215 



are hexagonal. Of the lateral plates, the posterior are the 

 smaller. The sharp edges of the seventh, eighth, ninth and 

 tenth marginal plates, which are the largest, project outwardly, 

 forming a keel. The sternum is divided unequally, the anterior 

 portion the smaller ; it is of a very dark brown color, with dull 

 yellow blotches. The anterior plates of the sternum are trian- 

 gular ; the middle, oblong ; the posterior, triangular. These 

 plates likewise exhibit concentric stria?. Head above, black, 

 reticulated with yellow ; the upper jaw of a dull white color, 

 Avith black lines passing from the eye to its margin. Throat 

 white, with dark spots ; flesh on the sides of the neck of a 

 dull horn color, varied \vith red and brown. The upper jaw 

 has a large hook-like process at its extremity ; the lower jaw, 

 a sharp point. Pupil of the eye, black ; irides red. The fore 

 legs are covered with large scales of an orange color, tipped 

 with dark brown ; posterior legs of an miiform dark brown 

 color. 



The principal food of this species is insects. 



C Blandiufrii- Holbrook. Blandins^s cistuda. 

 N. A. Ilerpetol. vol. iii. p. 35 et fig. 



By the kindness of Mr. Edward Appleton I have received 

 from Haverhill a fine living specimen of this rare species. It 

 presents the following appearance : Length of the specimen 

 7^ inches ; breadth of the shell 5 inches ; length of the ster- 

 num, 7 inches ; height 3 inches. Shell oblong, rounded, 

 slightly flattened above. The plates of the upper shell are 

 black, covered with numerous bright yellow circular and ob- 

 long spots or blotches, irregularly distributed. The first verte- 

 bral plate is pentagonal ; the second and third are hexagonal ; 

 the fourth is heptagonal ; the fifth is octagonal. Of the lateral 

 plates, the anterior and posterior are quadrilateral, the third 

 and fourth, pentagon'^1. The marginal plates are twenty-five 

 in number ; the nuchal plate is very small, about a line in 

 width, and less than half of an inch long ; the first, third, 



