Dr. J. E. Gray on a new species of Chelodina. 485 



of the back and upper tail-coverts of a lovely purple, changing into 

 green on their edges and tips, in lieu of dark bronzy-purple ; the 

 band across the abdomen dark coppery-brown. 



Total length, 19^ inches; bill, 1|^; wing, 8; tail, 14; tarsi, If. 



Hub, W. Africa : precise locality unknown. 



December 9, 1856.— Dr. Gray, F.R.S., in the Chair. 



Description of a New Species of Chelodina from 

 Australia. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., etc. 



Mr. Stutchbury, who has recently returned from Australia, 

 brought with him a series of animals which he collected during his 

 geological researches. 



In examining this collection with the intention of selecting those 

 specimens which will be interesting additions to the very rich col- 

 lection of Australian animals in the British Museum (including al- 

 most all the species described by Mr. Gould and other recent writers 

 on the fauna of that continent), I was pleased to discover what ap- 

 pears to be a very distinct species of the Australian genus of Long- 

 necked freshwater Tortoises (Chelodina). 



To the description of this species I have added a short note on 

 the peculiarities of two other species. 



Chelodina expansa, n. s. 



Shell oblong, rather depressed, broader behind, brown ; plates 

 thin, with short, narrow inosculating grooves ; the margins flat- 

 tened, expanded ; the side of the back regularly convex ; the lateral 

 marginal plates rather broad, not revolute. The sternum flat, bluntly 

 keeled on the sides, yellow. Head, neck and limbs dark olive 

 above ; chin, throat, and under side of the limbs whitish. 



Shell, length 1 1, breadth 8 inches. Neck 8 inches long. 



The young shell is like the adult, but the lateral margins are slightly 

 revolute on the edges, though the plates are broad like those of the 

 adult. The under side of the margin yellow, with a triangular black 

 spot on the front edge of each shield ; the dorsal shield thin, with 

 three distant concentric grooves, with a rather rugose, moderate- 

 sized areola ; the areola of the costal plate subcentral ; the areola 

 of the first vertebral plate is subcentral, of the second, third, fourth 

 and fifth vertebral plate on the middle of the hinder margin ; the 

 areola of the marginal plate is on the hinder outer margin. The 

 front vertebral shield is large, and as broad as long ; the others are 

 much broader than long, the third being the shortest. 



This species difl'ers from Chelodina longicollis, C. oblonga and C. 

 Colliei, in the generally expanded form, and especially in the breadth 

 and non- revolution of the lateral margin, and in the side of the 

 sternum not being so sharply keeled as in the two latter species. 



It diff'ers from Chelodina sulcifera in the membranous character 

 of the shields, and also in the sternum being narrow in front, like 



