44 CONCENTRIC TORTOISE. 



to any indentations on the pieces themselves. 

 The head is smooth, yellowish, striped, and varied 

 with black : the legs dusky above, and beneath 

 beautifully marked by numerous narrow, trans- 

 verse, black bars ; the skin on each side the body 

 is also marked in a similar manner : the hind feet 

 are widely webbed ; and the claws on all the feet 

 are sharp and moderately strong. The shell 

 measures from four to six inches, or more. This 

 species is a native of North America, and is 

 sold in the markets at Philadelphia, and elsewherCj 

 under the name of Terrap'm It is an inhabitant 

 of the waters, and seems to have been first de- 

 scribed by Dr. Browne, in his Natural History of 

 Jamaica, in which island it is common, and is 

 said by Browne to be a wholesome and even deli- 

 cate food. It grows, according to that author, 

 to the length of eight or nine inches. 



VAR. 



In the Leverian Museum is a large and beauti- 

 ful specimen of the shell of this species, which is 

 remarkable for having the dark zones on the seve- 

 ral pieces of the shell double ; being slightly sepa- 

 rated by an intermediate line of the pale or yel- 

 lowish ground-colour. This shell is represented 

 in the present work. 



* This name is applied indiscriminately in America to several 

 other species. 



