44 CONCENTRIC TORTOISE. 



to any indentations on the pieces themselves. 

 The head is smooth, yellowish, striped, and varied 

 with black : the legs dusky above, and beneath 

 beautifully marked by numerous narrow, trans- 

 verse, black bars ; the skin on each side the body 

 is also marked in a similar manner : the hind feet 

 are widely webbed; and the claws on all the feet 

 are sharp and moderately strong. The shell 

 measures from four to six inches, or more. This 

 species is a native of North America, and is 

 sold in the markets at Philadelphia, and elsewhere, 

 under the name of Terrapin *. It is an inhabitant 

 of the waters, and seems to have been first de- 

 scribed by Dr. Browne, in his Natural History of 

 Jamaica, in which island it is common, and is 

 said by Browne to be a wholesome and even deli- 

 cate food. It grows, according to that author, 

 to the length of eight or nine inches. 



VAR. 



IN the Leverian Museum is a large and beauti- 

 ful specimen of the shell of this species, which is 

 remarkable for having the dark zones on the seve- 

 ral pieces of the shell double ; being slightly sepa- 

 rated by an intermediate line of the pale or yel- 

 lowish ground-colour. This shell is represented 

 in the present work. 



* This name is applied indiscriminately in America to several 

 other species. 



