32 TORTOISES, TERRAPINS, AND TURTLES 



mal completely withdraws its head, legs and tail; at both 

 ends it draws the lower shell tightly against the upper, and 

 all the soft parts are entirely out of reach, behind strong 

 walls of bone. The box of bone is as tightly closed at all 

 points as a strongly made cigar-box with the cover nailed 

 down. 



The Box Tortoise is an illustration of the fact that sev- 

 eral species of tortoises are quite handsomely colored, in geo- 

 metric patterns of black or red line^, on lighter ground-colors. 

 A representative specimen of this species is covered with an 

 open fretwork of black bands laid in a mechanical pattern 

 on a lemon-yellow ground-color. North of the range of the 

 gopher tortoise, the Box Tortoise is our only genuine tor- 

 toise — living only upon land, and never inhabiting water. 

 It is common all around New York City, and is found even 

 in the large northern parks, where it inhabits the well-shaded 

 forests in situations as remote as possible from the paths of 

 men. The moist valleys of the Zoological Park have yielded 

 many fine specimens to the Reptile House collections, where 

 they live contentedly. The Carolina Box Tortoise is found 

 throughout the eastern United States from the Atlantic coast 

 to the Mississippi River, and in the South is called the Pine- 

 Barren "Terrapin." 



TEE MUD-TERRAPIN FAMILY 

 Kinosternidae 



The Family Kinosternidae was invented for the special 

 accommodation of the box tortoises, with plastrons hinged 

 across the middle; but in an unguarded moment the Mud 



