116 JONES ON REPTILIA OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



largest size. I have had similar opportunities of studying the 

 habits of the batrachians, but with the members of the order 

 Testudinata it has been otherwise. Nevertheless, through the kind- 

 ness of one of our members, I am enabled to fill this blank, and 

 present to you a fair account of the reptiles of our Province. 



The first order in the class Reptilia is that of the Testudinata or 

 tortoise tribe, and of this Nova Scotia possesses three species — the 

 alligator terrapin, or snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina), painted 

 tortoise (Emys picta), and the wood terrapin (Emys insculpta). The 

 second order Loricata, comprising the crocodiles and alligators, has 

 happily no representative in this northern clime. The thiixl order 

 Sauria, including the lizards, has also no representative. The fourth 

 order Ophidia, to which all the serpents belong, has five well ascer- 

 tained species — the black snake (Coluber constrictor), the striped or 

 spotted snake (C. sii-talis), the green snake (C. vernalis), the ringed 

 snake (C. punctatus), and the spotted neck snake (C. occipito- 

 maculatus). We come now to the sub-class AmpMhia, which con- 

 tains in the first order Anoura, the frogs and toads. Of these Nova 

 Scotia possesses seven recognized species — the bull-frog (Rana 

 pipiens), the spring frog (E.. fontinahs), the leopard frog (E.. 

 halecina), the wood frog (R. silvatica), the American toad (Bufo 

 Americanus), Pickering's hylodes (Hylodes Pickeringii), and the 

 northern tree toad (Hyla versicolor). The second order of amphi- 

 bians JJrodela, contains the salamanders, of which we have four 

 species — the violet coloured salamander (Salamandra sub-violacea), 

 the red-backed salamander (S. erythronota), the salmon coloured 

 salamander (S. salmonea), and the crimson spotted triton (Triton 

 mille-punctatus. These comprise the whole of our Nova Scotian 

 reptiles, at least as far as I have been able to ascertain. 



Order— TESTUDINATA. 

 Genus— CHELONURA, Flem. 



Chelonura serpentina, DeKay Snapping Turtle. 



Testudo serpentina — Linn. Syst., p. 354. 

 Chelydra lacertina — Sch. Monog. 



Emys serpentina — Gray, Synops. Rept. apud GrifF. 

 Cuvier, vol. 9, p. 14. 

 Emysaurns serpentina — Dumeril & Bibson, vol. 2, p. 350. 



