4 BULLETIN OF THE BUEEAU OF FISHERIES. 



GENERIC SYNONYMY AND DIAGNOSES. 



The genus Malaclemmys was established in 1844 by Gray to receive the species 

 described by Schoepff under the name Testudo terrapin. 

 The synonymy of the genus is as follows: 



Emyt, part, Dum., Zoo]. Anal., p. 76. 1806. 



Eni'is. part, Dum. and Bibr., II, p. 232, ls3o. 



Clemmys, part, Wagler, Syst. Amjihib., p. 136, 1830. 



1 1, mmys, part, Strauch, Chelon. stud., p. 28, 1862. 



71 rrapene (not of MerTem), part, Bonap., Osserv. s. see. E<1. d. R. A., p. 135, 1830. 



Malaclemmys Gray, Cat. Tortoises, &c, of the Brit. Mils., p. 28, 1844. 



Kalaclemmys Gray, Cat. Shield Kept. I, p. 37, 1855, and Suppl., p. 41, 1870. 



Malacoclemmys Agassiz, Contrib. Nat. Hist. r. S., p. 437, 1857 (nom. emend.). 



EuchylocU mmys Sclater, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., I, p. 292, 185S (name propi im-<1 a* a substitute for MalacocU mmys Agassiz i. 



The genus is characterized by Boulenger (1889, p. 89) as follows: "Neural plates 

 hexagonal, short-sided in front, plastron extensively united to the carapace by suture, 

 with feeble axillary and inguinal peduncles, the latter anchylosed to the fifth costal 

 plate; entoplastron anterior to the humero-pectoral suture. Skull with a bon}^ tem- 

 poral arch; alveolar surface very broad, without median ridge; choanse behind the 

 level of the eyes. Upper surface of head covered with undivided skin. Digits 

 webbed. Tail short. North American." The. species included are M. terrapin 

 Schoepff, M. geographica (Lesueur), and M. lesueurii (Gray). 



In 1890, Baur (Science, XVI, p. 262. Nov.. 1890) added to this list two new species, 

 .}/. Hi-nil f, iui and .1/. Jcohnii, but later he reestablished the genus Graptt mys of Agassiz 

 and removed to it M. geographica, M. lesueiurii, M. oculifera, and M. Tcohnii, thus 

 leaving M. terrapin of Schoepff the only species in the genus Malaclemmys. 



The examination of the extensive series of diamond-back terrapin which have been 

 available to me shows that instead of one there are at least four well-marked species 

 and one subspecies: M. centrata (Latrielle), M. centrata concentrica (Shaw), M. 

 macrospilota sp. nov., M. pileata (Max. zu. Wied), and M. littoralis sp. nov. The 

 description of these will be found in this paper. 



The genus Malaclemmys as recognized here and by Doctor Baur may be char- 

 acterized as follows: 



Emydoid chelonians with the plastron united to the carapace by wide but Hat 

 bridge; hind legs stouter than the fore legs and provided with a broad web extend- 

 ing beyond the articulation of the nail joint; distinct scales present only on the 

 legs and feet; inguinal and axillary scales small or wanting: horny sheath of jaws 

 straight, strong, and smooth; alveolar surface flat and broad, without ridges; alveolar 

 margins meeting at an angle in the upper jaw and tapering to a triangle in the lower 

 jaw. All the species are American and inhabit salt marshes along the Atlantic and 

 Gulf coasts. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE GENUS. 



By practically all who in recent years have treated of the genus Malaclemmys, 

 only a single species has been recognized, and although most of the authors have 

 spoken of its extreme variability, but few of them have gone so far as to propose 

 names for any of the forms. 



The synonymy to be cited is as follows: 



Ti xtudu li mipiii SchofptT, Hist. Test., p. 64, pi. xv, 1702 i not T. terrapin Gmel. 1788). 

 Tt simlo h rrnjiin Sehoepfl, Naturgesch. der SehildkrBten, parts 3 & 4. p. 71, 1793. 



