46 PAINTED TORTOISE. 



of the shell, vary, as may be supposed, on differ- 

 ent individuals, and in general seem most. dis- 

 tinctly expressed on the smallest specimens. This 

 may be considered as one of the middle-sized tor- 

 toises : the shell measuring from four to six inches 

 in length, or somewhat more : the head is mode- 

 rately small, and covered with a smooth skin ; 

 blackish above, but yellow on the sides and under 

 part, and very elegantly streaked in a longitudinal 

 direction, with several double rows of black 

 streaks : the legs are blackish, and marked with 

 two longitudinal yellow stripes : the claws are 

 sharp and long, those on the fore feet five in num- 

 ber, and those on the hind feet four. The tail is 

 blackish, scaly, moderately sharp-pointed, and 

 marked on each side with yellow streaks. It is a 

 fresh-water species, and inhabits slow and deep 

 rivers in North America. In clear sunny weather 

 these animals are said to assemble in multitudes, 

 sitting; on the fallen trunks of trees, stones. &c. 



O ' ' 



and immediately plunging into the water on the 

 least disturbance. They are said to swim very 

 swiftly, but to walk slowly ; to be able to con- 

 tinue many hours entirely beneath the water, but 

 not to survive many days if kept out of their fa- 

 vourite element. They are very voracious, de- 

 stroying ducklings, &c. which the)' seize by the 

 feet, and drag under water. They are sometimes 

 used as a food. The colour, as has been above 

 observed, varies; being sometimes of a blackish 

 brown, at other times of a reddish chesnut : the 

 yellow markings are also either pale or deep in 



