The Box Turtles 



in technical classification so that the four-clawed and three- 

 clawed forms alternate in the list. Of the series, the Painted 

 Box Turtle, (C. ornata), is a perfectly distinct species, as the shell 

 is quite flat in the area of the central shields and there is no trace 

 of a keel. It is very probable that the Three-toed Box Turtle 

 (C. triunguis} will be found to be but a variety of the common 

 species, C. Carolina, which possesses four claws on the hind foot, 

 and that Baur's Box Turtle (C. bauri), another three-toed form, 

 may be decided to constitute a variety of the Large Box Turtle 

 (C. major), which also possesses four claws. The Mexican 

 species, C. mexicana, may also be but a Southern form of the 

 C. major. 



To set forth the characters of the Box Turtles and popularise 

 the descriptions, the writer provisionally describes the five North 

 American forms as species, arranging them as in the key in 

 an effort to facilitate the work of the less advanced student. 



THE PAINTED BOX TURTLE 



Cistudo ornata, (Agassiz) 



The form of the carapace is broad and globular. It is dis- 

 tinctly flattened on the area of the central row of plates, and is 

 without a trace of the -pronounced keel of the other species. There 

 are four claws on the hind feet. 



Colouration. The shell is dark brown or black above, with 

 moderately broad, yellow, radiating lines. The lower shell is 

 brightly coloured, being yellow, but so thickly suffused with 

 brown that it presents an intricate network of yellow and brown 

 bands. 



The head is dark, with large yellowish or reddish spots 

 upon the sides and dots of the same colour upon the top, while 

 the neck is banded with the same bright hue. 



With most specimens the scales of the forelimbs are bright 

 red with some, orange. 



From its generally bright colouration, this is the most at- 

 tractive species of the box turtles. 



Dimensions. Height of Combined Shell i\ inches 



Length of Carapace 4! " 



Width of " 3! 



Length of Plastron 4$- " 



Width of Head i 



58 



