Turtles op the Genus Pseudemys. 
83 
/907] 
The largest specimen I have seen weighed seven and a half 
pounds and measured 272 mm. 
Elegans is much like scripta in general appearance and in 
markings, but the shell is flatter and not keeled in the adult 
and the red neck spot is characteristic at all ages. The mark- 
ings on the carapace are variable, but usually much as in 
scripta , but those of the plastron are different, each plate 
usually containing a black or dusky spot which is usually sur- 
rounded by one or more dusky concentric lines. 
Of troostii I have only seen one specimen and that differed 
greatly in many respects from all the specimens of scripta and 
elegans that I have seen. It was from St. Louis, Mo., and 
measured 185 in length and 137 in breadth, and the tip of the 
nose extended 107 mm. beyond the front edge of the shell, 
when the neck was stretched to its fullest extent. The 
upper jaw was notched in front, lower jaw pointed at tip, 
neither serrated. Both upper and lower jaws much wider 
and more rounded than in any other pseudemys with which I 
am acquainted, especially than in elegans and sci'ipta, which 
have the snout notably pointed. Head dark above with nar- 
row, pale stripes; chin, throat, and neck below, light colored 
with rather pale darker stripes on neck below, much as in 
Deirochelys reticulata. Shell rather flat on top, rounded off 
on sides, rather deep, and much the shape of Deirochelys, but 
the bridge and shell not so high; shell smoother and without 
the wrinkles so characteristic of Deirochelys. Carapace dark 
brown with indistinct paler markings, most of the marginals 
with faint vertical bars, which are barely visible. Plastron 
pale with some dark markings round the edges of the plates. 
Superficially and in length of neck this specimen resembles a 
D. reticulata more than it does the other species of Pseu- 
demys, but I found on examination that the basal portion of 
the ribs was short, straight and broad as in other Pseudemys , 
not long, slender and arched as in Deirochelys. 
