nn: \i IT 1 1/ in. 



17 



Though a very valuable and '-minus reptile. ih.- Alligator Terrapin i* far from l>eaiitiful, 

 with it> little du-k\ -hell, its long, kn< d tail, its singular legs and feet, and its great. 



sharply -toot hed jaws, on account of it habit of snapping ti.-n-.-h at its op|>oiients. it is <.fi-n 

 called l>\ tin- nain.-.'f >na].| in_' Tiiril.-. a till--. h< .lii.-li rightly belongs to ft species 



\\lii<-li will shortly l- d.-s<-rit>ed. 



!- !,. - pi i- !.,:_. .,!;: OOfMI : .". '. <: :. mUdl LAfa . " Mflk b long; BUrk, and 

 fnrni>hil witli a MiinitH-r of projtTtin^ tulx-n-lt-N. | M.|I-I tin- i-hin an- twci di^tiurt barbels. 

 \Vlu-n adult, tin- sln-11 is s< formal iliat a dfjin^on runs aloii^ tin- iitn-, leaving a kind of 

 kifl ut t-a<-li >id' of tin- ivntral lim- ; luit whi-n yoiin>r. tin- sli-ll forms thn-*- distinct k--lH. It 

 i> ratlifr llat. oblong, and at tin- hindi-r portion is dwply rl.-ft, >o as to form a row of blunt 

 teeth, but while young the teeth are sharp. The tail is stout, loug, and is furnish**! with a 

 series of large, blunt tut>ercles along its central line. 



THE SNAPPING TURTLE is the familiar nam> of this sjx'ri.-s in tin- countryside of New 

 England. It is rather common in all parts- of North America, and is found southward IUH far 



a> K.-iiad-'i . I "i . 1'ickrriiiir, of !..i-!. MI Mass:ichatl^ IWOtdl ML- length of one a.s " ovci fmir 

 feet ;" the shell being only about half that in length. This exposure of so large a i>ro]>orti<>ii 

 of its fleshy parts is scarcely paralleled in any other sj^-i.-s. its stout and long tail, and ita 

 long neck quite warrant the use of a Southern designation it has Alligator Tortoise. The 



-a\:i_.-. snapping !;:iMi trives it the common Northern HUM DM HDi Aiii-:ii..i 'I'.-i i-apin 

 ^.,. m s \.i\ ppn>priate. a.s tii- '|.ini|in> all ha\.' ill.- corrugated bMkft In -uii.- .|u.iii.-i> 

 the flesh is esteemed. 



MATAMATA.-OUV < 



WE now arrive at another family of Tortowes, termed Chelydes, an example of which la 

 the remarkable MAT A MAT A, the acknowledge type of its family. 



All the Chelydes have broad, flattened heads, long, broad, contractile n^ks, and when in 

 repose have a curious custom of bending their necks und-r the side of the carapace. Tln-ir 

 feet are webbed, in order to enable them to pass rapidly through the water, and there is always 



YOU. m 



