276 



ZOOLOGY 



common tortoises of the eastern United States are the musk- 

 turtle, told by a strong odor of musk ; the painted turtle, 

 of greenish black color and with marginal plates marked 

 with bright red ; the speckled tortoise, black Avith round 

 orange spots ; and the wood tortoise, with keeled shell, 

 and plates marked with concentric striae. 



The order Ophidia l comprises the snakes, characterized 

 bjr the elongated body without appendages, and by the 



FIG. 259. Eutamia, garter-snake, dorsal view. Photo, by E. R. D. 



absence of eyelids. Like other reptiles, the snakes are 

 chiefly tropical, but inhabit also the temperate zones. They 

 feed on living animals. 



The family Colubridae 2 includes the great majority of 

 our common non-venomous snakes, such as the garter- 

 snake, 3 water-snake, black-snake, milk-snake, and spread- 

 ing adder. Allied are the boas of South America and the 

 pythons of India, which attain the length of six metres or 



1 60is, serpent. 2 coluhra, serpent. 8 Fig. 259. 



