64 
teeth in both jaws; but the eyes are 
nearly alike and both have the nic- 
titant membrane very properly com- 
pared to that of the owls by Green. 
12. Description of two new genera of 
Soft Shell Turtles of North America. — 
By C. S. Rafinesque. 
APALONE and MESODECA. 
The following account was prepared 
for the Philosopical Society of N. York 
in October 1816; but not published at the 
time. It is now given as written 16 years 
ago. 
The Zoologists had preserved the 
Genus Testudo of Linneus, till Dumeril 
in 1806 established the G. Chelonias for 
the Sea turtles with feet like fins, the G. 
Chelys for the T. matamalci, and the G. 
Emys for all the turtles with 5 moveable 
palmated toes. Lately the G. Trionyx 
has been proposed by GeofFory for the 
soft shell turtles with 3 toes and claws. 
But last year I proposed in my analysis 
of Nature (Palermo 1815) to divide the 
Turtles into 15. G. as they offer so many 
other important Characters. 
They were 1 Chelonias D. 2 Testudo D. 
3. Gopherus, Raf. With flat round nails. 
Type. T. polyphemus of North America. 
4. Chelonura , Raf. with long tails 5 Sc 4 
claws, the bills serrated. Type T. indica, 
many Sp.here blended. 
5. Chelyra , Raf. Soft shell Sea turtles 
with sulcated back. Type T. coriacca. 
6. Trionypc of G. 
7. Cheliphus, Raf. Water turtles with 
Valved shells 5 claws and toes to all the 
feet. 
8. Uronyx, Raf. an anterior valve to the 
shell, toes and claws 5 and 4, tail with a 
claw. T. Scorpioides, Sec. 
9. JOidicla. Raf. Bivalve lower shell, 
toes 5 and 4. Type T .clausa, odorata, See. 
10. Monoclida , Raf. Lower shell valvu- 
lar anteriorly, toes 5 Sc 4. T. retziana See. 
11. Emyda, Raf. or Emys D. 
12. Chelyda , Raf. or Chelys D. 
13. Chemelys, Raf. Warty Scales, no 
valves 4rtoes to all the feet. T. verrucosa 
8cc. 
14. Chelopus Raf. No valve, toes not 
palmated 4 and 5. T. Pi/nctata See. 
15. Cheliuriis, Raf. No valves, feet pal- 
mated a long scaly tail. T. Serpentina Sec. 
This year I have discovered in my 
journey to the falls of the Hudson and to 
Lake Champlain, a new Soft Shell turtle 
which has 5 toes instead of Ihree as 
Trionyx , and which I propose to call 
Jlpalone. Bartram has long ago described 
and figured another Soft shell turtle 
with 5 claws, which has been common- 
ly blended with the T. ferox , this mast 
form also another -Genus Mesodeca by 
having 10 Scales in the middle of the 
back. 
1 N. G. Jlpalone Raf. 
The name is contracted from Apaloche- 
lone meaning Soft turtle. 
Char. G. Body and limbs soft without 
scales. Nose proboscidal, jaws without 
a bill. Upper Shell smooth soft with a 
small keel anteriorly. Lower Shell ante- 
rior, body denudated behind. Five pal- 
mated toes to all the feet, with small 
claws. Tail short corrugated. 
Jlpalone Hudsonica, Raf. Upper shell 
rounded elliptical, flat, entire, yellowish 
with brown spots, and a circular black 
line near the margin. Two oblong occu- 
lated spots before and behind the eyes, 
tail obtuse mucronate shorter than the 
shell. 
A very pretty small species from 2 to 6 
inches long, found in the River Hudson 
between the falls of Hadley, Glen and 
Baker, and further up to the source. It 
is called mud turtle and not eaten. It is 
a lively pretty animal, 1 quite harmless, as 
it cannot bite, having no horny hard jaws. 
It dwells in the mud and sand, and buries 
itself under it in winter. It feeds on 
small shells and fishes. 
Body olivaceous striped and dotted 
with brown; but entirely smooth with- 
out warts. Neck retractible and elon- 
gated when extended, grayish clouded 
with rufous as well as the feet. Head 
small with 2 singular large spots one be- 
fore and one behind each eye, oblong 
yellow with a black margin, appearing 
like as many eyes; while the true eyes 
between them are small round with a 
yellow iris. Nose tubular like a proboscis 
extending beyond the mouth, and trun- 
cated with 2 round nostrils. Mouth large, 
with thin soft lips. The hind part of the 
body is denudated beneath, the lower 
shell extending only half way from be- 
fore and is blueish white. Vent round, 
tail conical short thick rugose obtuse 
mucronate. Fee^t spotted, toes black, 5 
unequal with small claws. The upper 
shell is very entire and prettily spotted, 
the margin is yellowish unspotted, then 
comes a circular black line blackish but 
spotted of brown, while the centre is 
olivaceous yellow with many round 
spots occulated and clouded by having 
a brown margin, with grey dots within. 
The small half keel extends only to the 
middle or as far as the lower shell below. 
H. N. G. Mesodeca Raf. 
The name means middle with ten Scales. 
G. Ch. Body and limbs soft upper 
shell soft but with 10 hard scales in the 
middle, and 10 pair of hard lateral ribs, 
