EMYS. REPTILES. 337 



band down each side ; legs short, covered with ovate scales ; tail 

 short, conical, terminating in a horny tip. Shell 6 to 8 inches 

 long. Inhabits Greece, Italy, &c. Shaw, iii. pi. 1. 

 This species, one of the most common of the land tortoises, digs its winter retreat 

 about the end of autumn, and reappears about the middle of April. It lives to a 

 great age ; and there is a well ascertained fact of one, introduced into the archiepiscopal 

 garden at Lambeth, in the time of Archbishop Laud, about the year 1G33, which 

 survived till the year 1753, and was then supposed to have perished rather from accfc 

 dental neglect than old age. 



T. Indica, Vosm. Indian Tortoise. Shell convex, deep brown, with 

 the anterior margin reflected ; a tubercle on the three upper scu- 

 tella ; tail terminating in a horny tip. Shell 3 feet long. Inha- 

 bits Coromandel. Shaw, iii. pi. 3. 



T. geometrica, Lin. The Geometrical Tortoise. Shell black, ovate, 

 with the scutella regularly ornamented with yellow lines in rays 

 arising from a disc of the same colour ; disc with 13 or 14 pieces ; 

 marginal pieces 24 to 26. Shell nearly a foot long. Inhabits 

 Africa Shaw, iii. pi. 2. 



T. radiata, Shaw. Radiated Tortoise. Shell black, ovate, smooth, 

 with flattish scutella, radiated with yellow. Shell a foot or upwards 

 in length. Inhabits Madagascar. Shaw, iii. pi. 2. 



T. tabidata, Schcepf. Tabular Tortoise. Shell oblong, gibbous, 

 brown, with the scutella of the disc rectangular and furrowed, 

 and yellowish centres. Shell 5 or 6 inches long. Shaw, iii pi. 8. 



** Fresh water Tortoises. 

 Gen. 2. EMYS, Brong. 



Upper shell gibbous, divided into compartments by large scales : 

 feet with distinct toes, terminated by crooked nails ; toes 

 more or less palmated ; five toes before and four behind. 



This genus has the shell generally more flattened than in the land tortoises. They 

 feed on insects and small fishes. 



E. Europcea, Cuv. The European Tortoise. Shell oval, slightly 

 convex, smooth, blackish, strewed with yellowish points disposed 

 in rays ; disc composed of 13, and the margin of 25 pieces ; under 

 shell whitish yellow, tinged with brown at the joints. Inhabits 

 Europe Shaw, iii. pi. 5. 



E. picta, Cuv. The Painted Tortoise. Shell oblong, slightly con- 

 vex, smooth, brown, and each of the scutella bordered with yel- 

 low, broadest on the anterior margin ; disc composed of 13 'and 

 the margin of 25 pieces. Shell 4 to 6 inches long. Inhabits 

 North America. Shaw, iii. pi. 10. 



E. scripta, Cuv. The Lettered Tortoise. Shell orbicular, depressed, 

 whitish, tinged with yellow, marked with variously formed black 

 narrow lines and undulations ; marginal pieces spotted beneath. 

 Shell \l inch long Shaw, iii. pi. 12. 



E. serrata, Cuv. The Serrated Tortoise. Shell brown, fasciated 

 with yellow, with the posterior marginal pieces tridentated, and 



VOL. I. Y 



