REPTILES. 



413 



and between this and a dark brown almost every gradation may be found. 

 The under surface may be either light yellow or reddish brown, plain, or 

 striped, or spotted. The true terrapin lives in the salt marshes, from New 

 York south to Brazil; but is most abundant in the Carolinas and Georgia, 

 where a large proportion of the catch for the market is made. 



In the fresh water are many turtles which often figure as terrapin ; 

 but to enumerate them would take more space than we can spare, and 

 besides, the description would possess no features of interest. Not all of 

 the group are confined to the water ; the wood-tortoise, for instance, being 

 found in the woods and forests, often at points remote from any large 

 b.ody of water. 



Among; the strangest of turtles are the box-tortoises. There are several 

 species which differ not only in their colors and markings, but also in the 



Fig. 356. — Wood-tortoise {Chelopus insculphts). 



degree in which they are capable of closing the box. With ordinary tur- 

 tles all that is possible" is to draw the head, legs, and tail underneath the 

 shell ; but in the box-tortoises, after this is done, the two ends of the ven- 

 tral plate are capable of being folded up against the upper half of the 

 shell, much like the lids of a box, thus giving a more complete protection. 



Our figure shows the most common species of box-tortoise in the 

 eastern United States. It is a rather small species, seldom exceeding 

 seven inches in length of shell. It is eminently a terrestrial species, 

 not liking the water, but often seen wandering slowly along through 

 the meadows, or in the woods, in its search for food, which is wholly 

 vegetable in its nature, consisting largely of toadstools, mushrooms, and 

 similar objects. 



While the box-tortoises are inoffensive and depend solely upon their 



