Reptiles of Massachusetts. 13 
known under the name of “bos tortoise.” Several 
varieties have been made by naturalists dependent 
upon the difference of their markings. 
A beautiful living specimen before me exhibits the 
following characteristics : 
Length of the specimen, six inches. Shell, round, 
gibbous, carinated. Sternum bivalvular. The plates 
of the upper shell are of a dark brown color, sculp- 
tured with radiating and concentric strie, and cov- 
ered over their entire surface with bright yellow 
spots, varying in their size, form, and manner of 
distribution, frequently confluent. A great portion 
of each marginal plate is occupied by a yellow blotch. 
The first and fifth vertebral plates, are pentagonal ; 
the second, third and fourth are hexagonal. Of the 
lateral plates, the posterior are the smaller. The 
` sharp edges of the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth 
marginal plates, which are the largest, project out- 
wardly, forming a keel. The sternum is divided un- 
equally, the anterior portion the smaller; it is of a 
very dark brown color, with dull yellow blotches. 
The anterior plates of the sternum are triangular ; 
the middle, oblong ; the posterior, triangular. These 
plates likewise exhibit concentric strie. Head, above, 
black, reticulated with yellow ; the upper jaw of a 
dull white color, with black lines passing from the 
eye to its margin. Throat white, with dark spots ; 
flesh on the sides of the neck of a dull horn color, 
varied with red and brown. The upper jaw has a 
large hook-like process at its extremity ; the lower 
jaw, a sharp point. Pupil of the eye, black ; irides 
red. The fore legs are covered with large scales of | 
