436 NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXII. Utl'i. 



to marginals small, 3% ; size, large, 37'5-40 inches (living type given as 40 inches 

 in straight line) : plastron medium 75% ; plates smooth. 



General liemarlis. — There is not much to be said about this tortoise, as the 

 recorded individuals arc verj- few in number, and all at the time of recording in cap- 

 tivity. It appears probable that they came from one of the islands of the Seychelles, 

 where the tortoises had been quite early almost exterminated, otherwise the 

 Chevalier Marion de Fresno would not have taken them to Mauritius as gifts, 

 to where down to 1826 large numbers of tortoises were shipped as food from 

 the Seychelles. 



Testudo species? 

 '.• (Plates Lxvii., Lxviii.) 



Specimen. — The only known specimen is the young S at Tring, No. 183. 



Distribution. — Nothing is known as to the habitat of this tortoise. It was 

 said by Hagenbeck to have been taken in German East Africa, but this is most 

 unlikely. 



Diagnosis. — No nuchal i>late ; gnlars paired ; front of carapace declivous, 

 ranch lower than middle ; lieight at nnchal more than 33^ of " straight length " 

 (35%) ; difference between heights at third vertebral and nuchal plate 20% ; 

 carapace entirely flat on vertebral region, sharply declivous all round, short and 

 wide, very wide anteriorly ; width at junction of second and tliird marginals much 

 more than 50% (54%) ; front and hind marginals not everted and not produced ; 

 length over curve 136% ; height to marginals large, 7% ; plates smooth. 



General Remarks. — Unless brought from the islands and escaped, it is most 

 unlikely that a " gigantic Land-Tortoise " should be cajitured on the mainland of 

 Africa. This is probably a hybrid between gigantea and sumeirei. 



Testndo species? 



(Plates Lvu., LViii. (lettered as elcphahtina) and lxi.x., lxx.) 



Specimens. — I place here two specimens, first a large S marked Liverpool 

 Derby Museum on Table of measurement, p. 440, belonging to the Liverpool 

 Museum, and a ? No. 173 in the Tring Museum. The very different percentages of 

 " middle height,'' straight width, and width over curve are accounted for by the 

 more dome-shaped carapace in the case of ? ¥ . 



Distribution. — The origin of the Liverpool Museum specimen is quite unknown ; 

 No. 173 was imported alive from the Seychelles. 



Material. — In addition to the two mentioned above I have seen two specimens 

 of this form, the property of the Calcutta Museum ; and the large tortoise for so 

 many years kep)t alive in Ceylon was also of this form. 



Diagnosis. — Nuchal plate present or absent; gulars paired; third cervical 

 vertebra biconvex ; front of carapace somewhat declivous, lower than middle, 

 height at nuchal plate in <S less than 30%, (24%), in ? more than 30% (35%) of 

 straight length : difference between percentages of heights at third vertebral and 

 nuchal plate in S 24%, in ¥ 25% ; carai)ace flat in vertebral region, depressed in 

 d", very deej) in ¥, very wide anteriorly, width at junction of second and third 

 marginals more than 53% (c? 57%, ¥ 64%) ; front marginals not everted, bind 

 ones projecting somewhat outwards and upwards ; length over curve, S 125%, 

 ¥ 142%; height to marginals medium, 6-7% ; size medium, 32-05-4O-25 inches; 

 plastron moderately long, 75-85% ; plates with moderate striation ; scutes on head 

 and forelegs flat and level with skin. 



