OF THE UNITED STATES 155 



A young Snapping turtle I recently had in confinement in a 

 suitable vessel of water lived in apparent comfort without any 

 food whatever for a period of three months. When food was par- 

 taken of by it (young snails) at the end of that time, the turtle 

 died on the third day thereafter. Box-tortoises have been kept 

 by me for a year, without food or water, and what is generally 

 not known about this species, they are pretty good swimmers 

 for short distances, and this power is frequently of advantage to 

 them. 



Many people in the country districts are in a habit often of 

 keeping a Snapping turtle in the barrel of swill, where, in course 

 of time, it naturally grows to be of great size ; very tender ; loses 

 much of its normal musky odor; and, in short, becomes capital 

 meat for the table, either to be made into soups or otherwise 

 cooked. 



The largest fresh-water turtle known (Macroclemmys tem- 

 minckii) is related to the Snapping turtle, and is found in the 

 rivers tributary to the Gulf of Mexico. It is often called the Alli- 

 gator turtle from its being so ferocious, and its shell may attain 

 a length of at least three feet. (Giinther.) 



We stand much in need of a fuller knowledge of many of the 

 habits of our United States Chelonians, as well as their exact 

 geographical distribution. In some departments of this subject 

 we are indeed quite ignorant; knowing little or nothing about 

 the breeding habits of many of the fresh-water species. 



A good provisional classification for the Chelonia is found in 

 Gtinther's article " Tortoise," to which I have referred above. 

 It is largely based upon structural characters, especially those 

 of the shell, as this part is so convenient. Little is known of the 

 detail of morphology, or rather internal morphological detail, in 

 many of the species. A good proportion of the existing families 

 are represented by one or more fossil forms. 



