BLOOD OF CIIELONIANS. 



15 



15. Testiido Polypliemus, Daudin (male). Gopher. June 23. 



This Gopher had been kept for five days, during which time it was abundantly 

 supplied with vegetable food. 



"When the neck was cut, the blood flowed in a jet with considerable force, as from 

 a severed artery of a warm-blooded animal. 



This animal is remarkable for its muscular powers. It required all the force 

 that I could exert with my arms to draw its head out of the shell. The adult 

 will frequently support, and move about with a full-grown man upon their backs. 



They live in troops in pine-barren countries, and subsist entirely upon vegetable 

 substances. Their intestinal canal is modified so as to contain large stores of 

 nutritive matters. The appearance of their viscera is represented in Fig. 9. By 

 comparing this with the viscera of a carnivorous Chelonian, as the Snapping Turtle 

 {^Clielonura serpentina), Fig. 8, we see the modifications by which the alimentary 

 canal is adapted to the habits and food of animals. 



The shell of the Gopher is much softer, and its bony structure much thinner 

 and imperfect, even to old age, than that of other Terrapins, as the Emys serrata. 

 The shell of young Gophers is composed almost entirely of a material resembling 

 horn, and contains little or no osseous .matter. This is due to the character of 

 their food, which contains the fixed alkaline and earthy salts in much less amount 

 than animal food. 



The serum was of a light yellow color, differing from the bright golden color of 

 the serum of the Emys serrata, Emys reticulata, and Emys Terrapin. When 

 treated with a drop of sulphuric acid and gently heated, the peculiar smell of the 

 animal, similar to that of a Sheep, was developed. 



Amount of blood obtained 

 Specific gravity of its blood 

 " " serum 



Solid constituents in 1000 parts of blood 



serum 



" in serum of 1000 parts of blood 



Water in 1000 parts of blood 

 " " serum 



1000 parts of blood contained — 



Water ..... 

 Blood-corpuscles (dried organic constituents) 

 Albumen, fatty and extractive matter 

 Fibrin ..... 

 Fixed saline constituents 



1000 parts of blood contained — 



Moist blood-corpuscles 393.56 1^'^''^'* 



(Solid constituents 



Liquor sanguinis 



606.44 jWate'' " . " 



( bond constituents 



2500 grains 

 1030 

 1018 

 156.62 

 66-. 41 

 60.00 

 843.38 

 933.59 



843.38 

 8t.28 

 5T.t8 

 5.73 

 5.83 



302.67 

 90.89 



540.71 

 65.73 



