The Turtles and Lizards Found in the 

 Vicinity of New York City. 



By Eugene Smith. 



Before proceeding to the special description of the rep- 

 tilian fauna of this vicinity it will be necessary to give a 

 preliminary review of the class Reptilia and its orders, and 

 the differences existing between it and the class of Am- 

 phibia or Batrachia. 



Most persons use the terms indiscriminately, calling a 

 salamander a lizard, a snake an amphibian, or a frog a rep- 

 tile. Indeed, it is only within a comparatively recent 

 period that scientists make proper distinctions between 

 these so very different classes of animals. These dif- 

 ferences are so great that Reptiles have more affinities 

 with Birds, whilst Amphibia are most nearly allied to 

 Fishes. 



In preparing this paper I have referred for general pur- 

 poses to the following authorities : A. C. Glinther and St. 

 George Mivart, Articles on Reptiles, Turtles and Lizards 1 ; 

 J. E. Holbrook, North American Herpetology ; G. A. Bou- 

 lenger, British Museum Catalogues ; Alexander Strauch's 

 Vertheilung der Schildkroten iiber den Erdball 2 ; D. t S. 

 Jordan, Manual of the Vertebrates, etc. 3 



The descriptions of families and species, as used by me, 

 are largely those of Jordan's Manual. Another paper of 

 value consulted on the Turtles is that of F. W. True, Use- 

 ful Aquatic Reptiles and Batrachians of the United States. 4 



1 In Encyclopedia Britannica, 9th edition. 



2 See Mem. de l'academie imperiale de St. Petersbourg, tome X., No. 13, 

 1865. 



3 7th edition, 1896. 



4 See Section One of the Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the U. S., 

 Washington, 1893. 



