* 
Reptiles of Massachusetts. 9 
tions. Several yellowish warts or cirrhi upon the 
throat. Legs and feet slightly granulated; upon 
the anterior legs, three large scaly plates; at the 
base of the feet several smaller scales of a similar 
character; these scales do not exist upon the fore 
legs, although they do upon the feet. Toes palmated ; 
fore feet with five toes, and five claws; posterior, 
five toed, with four claws. Tail short, with several 
rows of pointed warts. 
The specimen from which I have drawn the 
above description, is three inches and a half long, 
one inch and a half high. Of six specimens lying 
before me, five do not vary aline in length. The 
sixth, which is considerably younger, is less than 
three inches in length; has a more marked dorsal 
ridge than either of the others, and the blotches are 
more numerous. 
This species has a very disgusting odor, and is 
hence sometimes called stink-pot. 
It is found burying itself in the mud in ditches 
and small ponds, frequently covered with a thick 
coat of foreign matter, from which circumstance it 
has received the common name of mud tortoise. 
A single specimen of this species was found in 
Fresh Pond, in Cambridge, by J. W. Randall, M. D. ; 
one specimen was taken at Amherst, and several at 
Falmouth, by Professor C. B. Adams; and Mr. Eras- 
tus H. Clap brought me one from Walpole. 
W VOL. IIL—-NO. I-II. 2 
