Catalogue of the Reptiles of Connecticut. 39 



*3. Sphargis coriacea, Mer., Leather Tortoise, Long Island 

 Sound. 

 *4. Testudo palustris, Linn., Terrapin, Housatonic River. 

 *5. Emys terrapin, SchoepfT., Smooth Terrapin, Stonington. 

 *6. Emys picta, Schneider, Painted Tortoise, common. 



*3. Cuvier, (Vol. II, p. 10, Am. ed.) says, " Merrem has recently distinguished by 

 the name of sphargis those Cheloniae whose shell is destitute of plates, and merely 

 covered with a sort of leather, such as the Testudo coriacea of Linnaeus." Dr. De- 

 kay, in his report on the zoology of New York, page 5th, says : " A fourth speci- 

 men [found on our coast] was taken Sept. 7, 1826, in Long Island Sound." 

 Dr. Storer, page 217 of his Report to the Legislature of Massachusetts " on the 

 fishes and reptiles of that State," describes a specimen taken in Massachusetts 

 Bay in 1824, of which he gives a good figure by Dr. Wyman. Length, 85 inches, 

 widest part 14 inches. His leathery covering was 57 inches in length. These 

 proportions are mentioned here as very extraordinary for any species of tortoise — 

 over 7 feet long, and little more than a foot wide! Our Connecticut specimen is 

 believed to have been of no less dimensions. 



*4. This is the Testudo concentricus of Shaw. I had a specimen of the upper 

 shell from Cheshire in this State, which measured 8 inches long, and 6 wide, 

 which I forwarded to Dr. Storer, Boston. I have had also two specimens of the 

 living animal from the Housatonic this season, of the same dimensions. Dr. Shaw, 

 page 43, Vol. Ill, says, " they are from 4 to 6 inches long. But Dr. Brown de- 

 scribes them as 8 or 9 inches long in Jamaica — are sold in Philadelphia market as 

 terrapins." They are in my estimation superior to any of the genus for the table. 

 The fact that they are common in Cheshire, about 14 miles not only from salt but 

 even Irackish water, evinces that Dr. Dekay is mistaken in his assertion on page 

 11, of his Report, viz. " It is well distinguished as the salt-water terrapin, for it 

 is found exclusively in salt or brackish streams near the sea-shore." He also adds, 

 "geographical limits from Mexico to New York, and northern shores of Long 

 Island." This and rae following species were for a long time considered the 

 same. Major Le Conte, however, who is considered good authority in herpetolo- 

 gy, saw females of both of the same size, and considered them different. (See Dr. 

 Dekay's Report, Part III, p. 11.) 



*5. Dr. Holbrook says this species is found as far east as Rhode Island. I have 

 obtained the shell of a young specimen from Mr. J. H. Trumbull, taken at Ston- 

 ington, which exhibits the principal difference between this and the preceding, as 

 noted by Dr. Dekay; and it agrees much better with Dr. Holbrook's figure, than 

 with my specimens of the preceding species. It has but one half as many con- 

 centric lines on the lateral plates ; and the last dorsal plate is much larger, and 

 unlike in shape to the same plate in the preceding species. How much is to be 

 ascribed to the difference arising from age, I believe is not stated, though I 

 doubt not I have the shells of what are considered the two species, and both 

 found living in Connecticut waters. 



*6. This species is found in most of our brooks and ponds of fresh-water. I 

 picked up a specimen in this town in 1842, which was crossing the road, and 

 found it marked " 1821 ;" being 21 years since its mark was received, and its 

 general appearance evinced the probability it was marked at the time named. I 

 preserved it for my cabinet, and the shell measures 5 inches in length and 3£ in 

 width, about a medium size. 



