August 7, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



159 



his material, lie lias grouped all cliildren as 

 of tlie same age who have, e. g. , passed their 

 ninth birthday and not yet reached their 

 tenth; he has again ignored the fact that 

 the majority of children enter school at the 

 beginning of the year and not during the 

 term, thus in this way still further throw- 

 ing out his calculation. 



G. M. West. 



A TWO-HEADED TORTOISE. 



Inquiries from various quarters have 

 been made so repeatedly for the sequel to 

 the brief story of a young two-headed tor- 

 toise, Chrysemys picta, published in . the 

 American Journal of Science for October, 1888, 

 that the author is led to believe that a pub- 

 lic account thereof will serve more useful 

 ends than many private ones. In order 

 that the sequel may be more intelligible to 

 all, a brief resume of the firsl paper will be 

 given. 



The young tortoise, hatched but a day or 

 so, was found in the marshes bordering 

 West Eiver, New Haven, Conn. The cara- 

 pace, which was somewhat broader than 

 long and slightly distorted, bore the cus- 



Fig. 1. Dorsal view of tlie tvv'O-lieaded tortoise 

 Chrysemys picta. 



tomary legs and tail, but there were two 

 perfectlj?^ developed heads and necks. 



The author visited and studied this little 

 monstrosity almost daily for weeks. It 

 lived and thrived and grew appreciably 

 during that time. Its charm was in the 

 very perfection of its imperfection. Such a 

 oneness of two with individuality preserved 

 is not to be found. In one carapace there 

 were two alimentary systems, two nervous 



Fig. 2. Ventral view of the same. 



systems, two respiratory and circulatory 

 systems, two muscular and bony systems. 

 Each was double in part at least. There 

 were two wills, for the heads fought con- 

 tinually for the rights of their common 

 shell and for their food. 



There were two dispositions ; the one 

 quicker, more timid and more irascible ; 

 the other stolid. Each head could hear, 

 see, eat, drink and breathe independently. 

 Though afterwards acquired, there was 

 originally no concerted action between the 

 right side and the left. However, with 

 surprising frequency, the two did act in 

 unison, and simultaneously, as if there 

 were correlation by a common nervous sys- 

 tem. 



They might, or they might not, each 

 drink, sleep or swim , as each willed. When 

 one side with its organs and appendages 



