72 SNAKE TORTOISE. 



it being considered as an excellent food. It feeds 

 on aquatic plants, and is said to wander by night 

 to some little distance from the banks in quest of 

 pasture. The specimen above described was a fe- 

 male, and was brought alive to Mr. Brugiiiere: it 

 lived for some time on herbs, bread, c. and laved 

 five or six eggs, one of which produced a young 

 tortoise in the box in which it was kept. 



It does not appear certain that this species is the 

 T. scorpioides of Linna?us, since in his very brief 

 description he does not mention the remarkable 

 figure of the snout. 



S\j\KE TORTOISE. 



Test lido Serpentina. T. teat a or all depressa , trifartam convertf, 



stjiiaimx (icunrinafiti, margwc p<Mtia> t-otitrulato acute serrato, 



Kchoepf. 'J'r.sf. p. 'JS. f. o'. 

 Tortoiso with ovate, depressed, triply {'urinated, sharp-scaled 



shell, rounded and acutely serrated at the posterior margin, 

 Testudo serpentina. . T. pedibun cfigitatis, teyfa avbcarinata, pos- 



tice obfvsa, acute (j-uwiqnedcnfata. Lin. Sy-st. Xat. p. 354* 

 Serrated Tortoise. Pemi. A ret. Zoo/. Suppl. p. t/7. 



THIS species, first described by Linnaeus, ap j 

 pears to have been very obscurely known; having' 

 been figured in no work of Natural History till 

 it was introduced into Mr. Schoepf 's publication, 

 It is a native of North America, where it inhabits 

 stagnant waters, growing to the weight of fifteen 

 or twenty pounds, and even more, and preying on 

 fish, ducklings, &c. c. seizing its prey witk 



