EMYS GUTTATA. §5 



been able to obtain. Yet there can be no doubt of it, for in the Transactions of 

 the Society of the Friends of Natural History at Berlin, I find Schneider referring 

 to this same tortoise, as well as to the figure of Seba, although he now calls the 

 animal Testudo guttata. It may then be asked, why not retain the name Testudo 

 anonyma, which seems to have the right of priority? The answer is this: 

 Sclineider at first was not aware that he had a new species, but seems to have 

 regarded it as a variety of the common Testudo Europaea; but afterwards, when 

 by comparison he had determined it to be a new and distinct species, then he 

 called it Testudo guttata. Thus he says,* "I have received this species from the 

 collection of Baron Bloch of Dresden, and sufficiently described it in the second 

 supplement to the Natural History of Tortoises, p. 30-32. I was then somewhat 

 doubtfiil Avhether or not to consider it as a variety of the common species, 

 (Cistuda europgea,) from which it differed both in colour and in shape of the 

 body. Now I look upon it as a new and separate species, differing from the 

 coimiion water tortoise principally thi'ough the firm adhesion of the sternum to 

 the shell." Why Schoepff" should have changed the specific name of this animal 

 to punctata, with all these facts before him, and referring at the same time, as 

 he did, to Sclmeider's work, cannot now be determined. To the name punctata 

 there can be no objection; it is equally applicable with the other, and has been 

 adopted by many excellent naturalists; guttata, however, has the right of priority. 



* Schrift. der Berl. Naturf. Freunde, b. iv. s. 3, p. 264. Ich habe diese Art aus der 

 Sammlung der Hrn. Baron Von Bloch erhalten, und im zweiten Nachtrage zur Naturgeschichte 

 der Schildkroten, s. 30-32, genau beschrieben; ich war damals noch zweifelhaft, ob ich sie als 

 eine Abart von der gemeinen ansehen und stellen sollte, ob ich gleich die abvveichungen im 

 Farbe und Korperbau deutlich bemerkte. Yezt sehe ich deutlich ein, dass es eine neue eigene 

 Art ist, welche sie von der gemeinen Wasserschildkroten vorzuglich durch die vestere Verbin- 

 dung des obern und untern schildes unterscheidet. 



