A Storer on the F -* 
This, our most common species of tortoise, is 
found in small streams and clear water throughout 
the State, oftentimes in great numbers ; a very con- 
cise description only is therefore offered : 
`- The upper shell is black, sprinkled over its whole 
surface with more or less distant, roundish, bright | 
yellow spots. In some specimens, eight or ten 
quite small spots may be seen crowded upon a sin- 
gle plate; while in others, several of the plates, 
a 
rem 
NU 
particularly those on the dorsum, exhibit but one 
spot each, brighter colored and larger than those just — . 
referred to. | 
The sternal plates are yellowish, with large black 
blotches, or black with yellowish blotches, or uni- 
formly black. Sometimes the plates of the sternum | 
are perfectly smooth, at other times marked with 
concentric strie. The top of the head, and upper 
part of the legs, black with yellow spots. : 
It feeds upon insects, worms and frogs. | 
E. picta. Schneider. The painted Tortoise. 
Shaw's Gen. Zoology, vol. iii. pt. 1. p. 45, et fig. 
Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist. N. Y. vol. iii. p. 115. E 
Harl. Med. and Phys. Res. p. 151. * 
Dum. et Bibr. Hist. Nat. des Rept. tom. ii, p. 297. 
N. A. Herpet. vol. ii. p. 19, et fig. 
Next to the “ guttata,” this is the most generally : 
distributed species. It is usually found with the 
preceding, and is a very easily recognised species. 
A specimen five inches in length, serves for the 
following description : r 
M suec doni uie ILU BIZ Eis 
