TESTUDO. 
floating on tlie surface, give notice of the 
en mieswitli which the pond is infested. 
5. Testudo picta, painted tortoise. The re- 
markable colours of the shield of this species 
are sufficient to distinguish it from all others: 
the shell is of a smooth surface, of a flattened 
or but slightly convex form, and of a cbes- 
nut-brown colour, paler or darker in differ- 
ent individuals, and consisting, as usual, of 
thirteen segments, each of which is of a form 
approaching to square, and pretty deeply 
edged or bordered with pale yellow : a stripe 
: of the same colour also runs down the middle 
of the dorsal segments, while the marginal 
pieces, which are twenty-five in number, ar 
each marked by a semi-oval spot of the same 
colour at the edge, surrounded by two, or 
sometimes by three yellow bands, followin 
the direction of the first-mentioned spot, and 
thus forming so many semi-elliptic yellow 
zones or stripes on each piece. 1 he neatness 
and accuracy of these, as well as of the yellow 
borders on the large or middle segments of 
the shell, vary, as may be supposed, on dif- 
ferent individuals, and in general seem most 
distinctly expressed on the smallest sped 
mens. This may be considered as one of the 
middle-sized tortoises: the shell measuring 
from four to six inches in length, or some 
what more: the head is moderately small 
and covered with a smooth skin ; blacki 
above, but yellow on the sides 2 nd under 
part, and very elegantly streaked in a longi- 
tudinal 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 number, and those on the 
hind feet four. The tail is blackish, scaly, 
moderately sharp-pointed, and marked on 
each side with yellow streaks. It is a fresh- 
water species, and inhabits slow and deep ri- 
vers in North America. In clear sunny wea 
ther 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 continue many hours 
entirely beneath the water, but not to "survive 
many days if kept out of their favourite ele- 
ment. They are very voracious, destroying 
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 different individuals, and 
sometimes whitish: the inferior or under 
edges of the upper shell, as well as the upper 
edges or commissures of the lower, are ele- 
gantly streaked with black, as if artificially 
painted, and this variegation is continued 
over the skin of the sides of the body. 
6. Testudo elegans, elegant tortoise. The 
animal described and figured by Seba, under 
the title of testudo terrestris cei’lonica elegans 
minor, is a small land tortoise, with the shell 
nearly circular in its outline, and about two 
inches in length : its colour is a bright yellow, 
its surface apparently smooth, and at each of 
the commissures or joinings of the pieces 
composing the disk is a large oval, or rather 
leaf-shaped, black or dark-brown transverse 
spot ; the pattern forming three rows of trans- 
verse spots down the disk ; and at the upper 
Vol. IL 
junctures, or those where the ultimate pieces 
of the disk join those of the margin, is a 
broad spot of a more fasciated form : there 
are also two rather irregular or slightly flexu- 
ous black lists running down the shell, be- 
tween the rows of spots: the marginal pieces 
are each marked by a transverse black belt 
or zone, thus forming a spotted edge round 
the whole : the head appears to be short 
and thick, and covered with small scales : the 
feet short, strong, scaly, and unwebbed, as in 
other land-tortoises, and furnished with five 
claws on each : the tail very short. Nothing 
particular seems to be known of its history. 
7. Testudo tricarinata, tricarinated tortoise 
This agrees as to shape and other particulars 
with Linnaeus’s description of his T. orbicu 
laris. Its size scarce exceeds- that of a large 
walnut ; its colour is blackish ; the shell 
consisting of thirteen scuteila, each row 
marked on the middle by a longitudinal 
carina, and wrinkled with several lateral 
furrows and roughish points ; the marginal 
pieces are twenty-three in number; the 
head is large, and of a brown colour, varie- 
gated on the sides with white: the legs short, 
strong, and covered with a scaly skin : on the 
fore feet are five distinct toes, connected to 
the very tips by a web, and terminated by so 
many sharp, crooked claws : the hind feet 
have only four toes, with sharp claws, and 
connected also by a web, with the appear- 
ance of a small unarmed fifth or spurious toe : 
the tail is short, conical, scaly, pointed, and 
but little exceeding the margin of the shell 
in length : the under shell is yellowish, spot- 
ted, and varied with brown. See Plate Nat. 
Hist. fig. 398. 
8. Testudo scabra, rough tortoise. The 
shell of the species quoted by Linnaeus in his 
description of T. scabra is figured in its natu- 
ral size in the work of Seba, who affirms that 
it never grows larger than represented in his 
figure ; measuring about two inches and a 
half in length, and near two inches in breadth ; 
being of a cordated figure, or somewhat 
jointed at the bottom. Its colour, accord- 
ing to Seba, is light reddish, prettily varie- 
gated on the head and shell with white lines 
and spots, in a kind of flamy or wavy pat- 
tern: the feet are marked with red specks, 
and have each five toes with sharp claws : the 
head is very prominent, and the eyes small : 
down the back of the disk are represented in 
Seba’s engraving three very conspicuous 
white lines or carinae ; so that the title of tri- 
carinata would apply to this, as well as to the 
species so denominated by Mr. Schoepf. 
9- Testudo ferox, fierce tortoise. This 
remarkable species is distinguished by the un- 
usual nature of its shield, which is hard or 
osseous on the middle part only, while the 
edges gradually degenerate into a flexile co- 
riaceous verge : this shield is obscurely 
marked with five or six transvere bands, ancl 
granulated with small warts or prominences, 
which gradually enlarge as they approach the 
leathery or flexible edge : the head is rather 
small, and of an unusual shape, being some- 
hat trigonal, with the snout very much 
lengthened, and the upper part drawn out 
into a subcylindric form, terminated by the 
nostrils, and projecting much beyond the 
lower mandible : the neck, when retracted, 
appears very thick, and surrounded by many 
reaths or folds of skin ; but when exerted, is 
of very great length, so as nearly to equal that 
5 G 
785 
of the whole shell: the legs are short, thick, 
and covered with a wreathed skin: the feet 
are all furnished with strong and broad webs, 
connecting the three last toes of each ; the 
three first on each foot are furnished with 
pretty strong claws, but the remaining ones 
are unarmed ; and besides the real or proper 
toes, there are two spurious or additional ones 
on ihe hind, and one on the fore feet, serving 
to strengthen and expand the -web to a great- 
er degree: the tail is short, pointed, and 
curving inwards : the eyes are very small and 
round. The colour of this animal on the 
upper parts is a deep-brownish olive, and on 
the under parts white ; the shell being mark- 
ed beneath in a very elegant manner, with 
ramifications of vessels disposed upon it. 
This species is found in Pennsylvania, Ca- 
rolina, &c. &c. and, contrary to the nature 
of most others of the tr s, is possessed of ve- 
ry considerable vigour and swiftness of mo- 
tion, springing forwards towards its assailant, 
when disturbed or attacked, with great fierce- 
ness and alacrity. Its length is about a foot 
and half, or more, and its breadth about fif- 
teen inches. It was first described by Dr t 
Garden, who communicated it to Mr. Pen- 
nant, by whom it was introduced into the' 
Philosophical Transactions. A specimen ex- 
amined by Dr. Garden weighed twenty-five 
pounds, but it is said to grow so large as to 
seventy jjounds. The individual mentioned 
by Dr. Garden laid fifteen eggs during the 
time it was kept, which were exactly spheri- 
cal, more than an inch in diameter, and fifteen 
more were found on dissection. Its flesh is' 
said to be extremely delicate, being equal, if 
not superior, even to that of the green turtle. 
The great soft-billed turtle, described by 
Mr. Bartram in his Travels, appears to be the 
same with this. It is said by Mr. Bartram to 
be of a flat form, two feet and a half long, and 
a foot and a half broad: the shield soft and 
cartilaginous on each side, and this part 
sometimes becomes gelatinous on boiling: 
the fore and hind part of the shield is beset' 
with round horny warts or tubercles-: the 
sternum or under shell semicartilaginous, ex-' 
cept on the middle, where it is bony : the 
head large and clubbed, and of an oval form : 
the nose extended, truncated in the manner 
of a hog’s snout : the eyes large, and seated 
at its base : mouth wide ; the edges tumid 
and wrinkled, and bearded by several long 
pointed warts or processes, which are exten- 
sile at the pleasure of the animal, and give it 
an ugly and forbidding aspect. Mr. Bar- 
tram’s figure also represents the throat and 
part of the neck as furnished with similar 
warts. Mr. Bartram adds, that it is fond of 
the muddy parts of rivers, &c. hiding itself 
among the roots and leaves of water-plants, 
and thence springing on its prey, stretching 
out its neck to an incredible length, and seiz- 
ing with wonderful celerity young birds, &c. 
iic. It is found in all the rivers, lakes, and 
pools, of East Florida, weighing from thirty 
to forty pounds. The warts or processes oil 
each side the neck may constitute perhaps a 
sexual difference in this species, since they 
are not to be found in that described by Dr. 
Garden and Mr. Pennant. See Plate Nat. 
Hist. fig. 396. 
10. Testudo serpentina, snake tortoise. 
This species, first described by Linnaeus, ap- 
pears to have been very obscurely known j 
