38 TESTUDIN1D.E. 



35. Batagur baska. 



Emys batagur, Gray, Syn. Rept. p. 23 ; id. 111. Ind. Zool. ii, pi. lix. 

 Emys baska, Gray, Syn. Kept. p. 24 ; id. III. Ind. Zool. i, pi. Ixxv. 

 Tetraonyx baska, Dum. 8? Bibr. Erp. Gen. ii. p. 341 ; Theob. Cat. 



p. 25. 



Tetraonyx batagur, Gray, Cat. Tort. p. 29. 

 Tetraonyx affinis, part., Cantor, J. A. S. B. xvi, 1847, p. 612. 

 Batagur baska, Gray, Cat. Sh. Kept, i, p. 35, pi. xvi ; Giinth. Rept. 



B. I. p. 37, pi. iii, figs. B, B' ; Bouleng. Cat. Chel. fyc. p. 61. 



Carapace moderately depressed, with a vertebral keel in the 

 young, which keel disappears in the adult ; nuchal broader tban 

 long ; first vertebral as broad in front as behind, or a little broader ; 

 vertebrals 2 to 4 subequal, much broader than long in the young, 

 nearly as long as broad and as broad as the costals in the adult ; 

 the postero-lateral border of the third vertebral strongly concave. 

 Plastron large, strongly angulate laterally in the young, convex in 

 the adult, truncate anteriorly, angularly notched posteriorly ; the 

 width of the bridge exceeds the length of the posterior lobe ; the 

 longest median suture is that between the abdominals, the shortest 

 that between the gulars, the latter never more than half that be- 

 tween the humerals ; inguinal large, axillary smaller. Head rather 

 small ; snout pointed, produced, directed upwards ; jaws with 

 denticulated edge, upper feebly notched mesially ; the width of 

 the lower jaw at the symphysis nearly equals the diameter of 

 the orbit. Limbs with transversely enlarged, band-like scales. 

 Upper surface of shell and soft parts olive-brown, lower surface 

 yellowish. 



Length of shell 21 inches. 



Hob. Bengal, Burma, Malay Peninsula. 



Genus KACHUGA, 

 Gray, Cat. Sh. Rept. i, p. 35, 1855. 



Fourth vertebral shield elongate, embracing four or five neural 

 plates ; neural plates hexagonal, anterior lateral margins shortest. 

 Plastron extensively united to the carapace by suture, with ex- 

 tremely developed axillary and inguinal buttresses, the former con- 

 nected with or nearly reaching the first rib, the latter anchylosed 

 between the fifth and sixth costal plates ; entoplastron anterior to 

 the humero-pectoral suture. Skull with a bony temporal arch ; 

 alveolar surfaces very broad, that of upper jaw with a median ridge ; 

 edge of jaws denticulated ; choanae on a level with the posterior 

 border of the eyes, or behind it. Upper surface of head covered 

 with undivided skin. Digits very broadly webbed. Tail very 

 short. 



Distribution. India and Burma. Thoroughly aquatic ; her- 

 bivorous. 



