Knight.] 16 [June 15, 



The Rev. C. F. Knight presented to the Society a collec- 

 tion of shells and skulls of various turtles made by him 

 in Florida, during the past winter, and offered some re- 

 marks on the habits of the animals. 



He described the construction of the burrow which the Testudo 

 polyphemus [Xerobates Carolinus Agass.] (Gopher) makes, digging a 

 gallery often sixteen feet long, and sinking to the depth of twelve 

 feet, with several chambers branching from it. These are not 

 unfrequently occupied by a curious collection of probably unwel- 

 come guests. On one occasion, a pair of opossums, a raccoon, a 

 rattlesnake more than six feet long, and two other snakes, beside 

 several of the native black rats of the district, were taken from one 

 of these holes. Mr. Knight spoke of the enormous strength of this 

 land tortoise, one of them carrying a full grown man on his back with 

 apparent ease, and of their curious uneasiness if the slightest rain 

 fell upon their thick shells. 



The Trionyx ferox [Platypeltis ferox Fitz.] is found in great num- 

 bers in the lakes of middle Florida. It is remarkable as having a 

 leathery integument upon its back and belly, which are only very 

 partially covered with a bony structure, and feet which resemble 

 more the flippers of the sea turtle than the limbs of those found in 

 fresh waters. The anus, in the female, is almost at the extremity 

 of a wide and fleshy tail. The jaws, serrated, and of great strength, 

 are covered with a pendulous upper lip. The nostril is greatly pro- 

 longed, suggesting at first sight the proboscis of an elephant, and it 

 was observed, while the creatures were living in captivity, that they 

 always swam with only the extremity of this nostril exposed above 

 the surface ; while most turtles lift the whole top of the upper shell 

 above the water. This soft shelled creature being a favorite food 

 both of man and various fish-hawks and eagles, it was conjectured 

 that this formation of nostril enabled the creature to keep sub- 

 merged beneath the turbid water and out of sight of its watchful 

 enemies. 



The Emys serrata [ Trachemys scdbra Agass.] in the early summer 

 congregates in great numbers in the shallow parts of certain lakes, and 

 the warm and still bayous near the mouths of those streams which 

 empty into the Gulf. On one occasion the speaker, floating quietly 

 down stream, came upon one of these gatherings where there seemed 



