402 



CHELONIA 



CHAP. 



That this can be widened enormously is indicated hj the 

 greatly developed hyoid apparatus. 



Chelodlna. — The neck is long and slender, the head small and 

 smooth. The nuchal is terminal ; the intergular is large. 

 The neural plates are completely suppressed, all the eight pairs 

 of costal plates meeting in the middle line. The shell is very 

 flat. Anterior and posterior limbs entirely webbed, and with 

 only four claws. The tail is very short. Three species in 

 Australia, one in New Guinea. 



Ch. longicollis reaches a shell-length of ten inches. It 

 inhabits Southern Australia. The illustrations make a de- 

 tailed description unnecessary. The colour of" the dorsal shield 

 is uniformly dark rich brown, while the shields of the under 

 surface are yellow, with broad dark brown lines along the 

 sutures. These " long-necked Chelodines " have a striking appear- 

 ance, when they swim or creep about, with the neck either 

 stretched out straight or bent horizontally in an S-shape. The 

 whole creature looks neat and elegant ; the iris is pale yellow, 



and gives the eye a very 

 intelligent expression. They 

 keep well in captivity, pro- 

 vided they are given the 

 choice of land and water. 

 My own prefer to spend 

 most of the day on land, 

 preferably under the ledge 

 of a stone, or perched upon 

 the stone itself if the latter 

 is in the shade, and not 

 too much exposed to view. 

 There they lie motionless, with the neck neatly tucked under 

 the shell, either to the right or to the left. Although the 

 eyelids may be closed, they can see well enough, owing to the 

 transparent condition of the lower lid. They feed in the water 

 upon soft animals, as for instance worms, smooth caterpillars, cock- 

 roaches or little frogs ; and they also take meat readily, provided 

 this is moved about. The food is invariably taken with a quick 

 sideward jerk of the neck and head. JMy specimens soon became 

 so tame that they left the water, and ran up to me with tlie 

 necks stretched to their full length, then snatching the bit of 



Fici. 89. — Chelodina longicollis. x \. 



