The Inhabitants of the Aquarium 237 



It is a prettily marked animal and a de- 

 sirable inmate for an aquarium, not devoted 

 to the keeping of fishes. In the Eastern 

 States it is common in waters with a soft, 

 muddy bottom. 



The Mud Turtle (Kinostcrnon pennsylvani- 

 cwii) is a hardy little turtle less conspicuous 

 because of its colors, than by reason of its 

 remarkable liveliness and agile movements. 

 The carapace is nearly elliptical and, for that 

 of a water turtle, strongly convex. It is of 

 a uniformly dull brown, the plates being 

 indicated by seams only. The plastron is 

 large and divided into three parts of nearly 

 equal size. Its center part, connected with 

 the carapace, is rigid, but the front and hind 

 parts are movable and, if drawn upward, en- 

 close the animal in a solid case. The plas- 

 tron is blackish brown, shading to a lighter 

 hue toward the edge. The head is long 

 and thick and borne by a long, strong neck- 

 Both head and neck are grayish black, mot- 

 tled and dotted with somber yellow, their 



