A6 



PAINTED TORTOISE. 



of the shell, vary, as may be supposed, on differ- 

 ent individuals, and in general seem most dis- 

 tinctly expressed on the smallest specimens. This 

 may be considered as one of the middle-sized tor- 

 toises : the shell measuring from four to six inches 

 in length, or somewhat more : the head is mode- 

 rately small, and covered with a smooth skin ; 

 blackish above, but yellow on the sides and under 

 part, and very elegantly streaked in a longitudinal 

 direction, with several double rows of black 

 streaks : the legs are blackish, and marked with 

 two longitudinal yellow stripes : the claws are 

 sharp and long, those on the fore feet five in num- 

 ber, and those on the hind feet four. The tail is 

 blackish, scal}^, moderately sharp-pointed, and 

 marked on each side with yellow streaks. It is a 

 fresh-water species, and inhabits slow and deep 

 rivers in North America. In clear sunny weather 

 these animals are said to assemble in multitudes, 

 sitting on the fallen trunks of trees, stones, &c. 

 and immediately plunging into the water on the 

 least disturbance. They are said to swim very 

 swiftly, but to walk slowly ; to be able to con- 

 tinue many hours entirely beneath the water, but 

 not to survive many days if kept out of their fa- 

 vourite element. They are very voracious, de- 

 stroying ducklings, &c. which they seize by the 

 feet, and drag under water. They are sometimes 

 used as a food. The colour, as has been above 

 observed, varies ; being sometimes of a blackish 

 brown, at other times of a reddish chesnut : the 

 yellow markings are also either pale or deep in 



