THE SNAPPING TURTLE. 17 



This remarkable reptile may almost deserve the name of the Snake Tortoise, its long 

 flexible neck, and flat, narrow, and pointed head, having a very serpentine aspect. As 

 its name imports, it is an inhabitant of Australia, and is found most commonly in New 

 Holland. It is a water-loving creature, not caring much for rivers and running streams, 

 but haunting the pools, marshes, and stagnant waters, where it lives in the midst of 

 abundance, finding ample food among the fishes and aquatic reptiles which generally 

 swarm in such localities. It is an active animal, traversing the water with considerable 

 speed, and capturing its prey by means of its sharp jaws. 



The gape is very large, and the jaws are comparatively slender. The shell is broad, 

 rather flattened, and the shields are thin and smooth, not being elevated as in the 

 preceding species. The general color of the shell is brown above and yellow below, 

 each shield having a black line round its edge. 



SNAPPING TURTLE.-7Wonyjr terox. 



WE now arrive at another family of the Tortoises, known popularly as Soft Turtles 

 a rather inaccurate title, inasmuch as they are not turtles but Tortoises and scientifi- 

 cally as Trionycidce. The latter title is of Greek origin, signifying three-clawed, in allusion 

 to the fact that, although the species belonging to the family have five toes on each foot, 

 only the three inner toes of each foot are armed with claws. 



These tortoises are rather interesting to the careful observer, because the peculiar 

 structure of the external covering permits the formation of the skeleton to be seen with- 

 out the necessity for separating the shells. In particular, the method in which the breast- 

 bone is developed into the broad flattened plate which forms the plastron, can clearly 



