N'OVITATES ZOOLOGICAB XXII, I9I5. 437 



General Remarks. — These tortoises staud somewhat iu betsveeu sume/rci and 

 elephantina ; the 3 t? <? I have seen and the old Ceylon specimen have all nuchal 

 plates, while the ?, No. 173, has no nnchal plate. Whether they are hybrids or not 

 I am unable to decide ; but, beyond the ?, No. 173, which, as before stated, came 

 from the Seychelles alive, the origin of the other four is absolutely unknown. 



Testndo grandidieri Vaill. 

 (Plates XXXVII., xxxviti.) 



Eiiiijs f/igaidea Milne-Edwavds, ex Grandidier ia lit., Compt. Rend. 18S8, Part "2, p. IIG7. 

 Testndo gramlidieri, Taillant, Cmnpt. Rend. 1885, Part 1, pp. 874-77 ; Boulenger, Tram, Zoul. Soc. 

 Land. xiii. pp. 30j-ll, pis. xxxix.-XLi. (1893). 



I'l/pe specimens. — ^Two almost complete carapaces, remains of four others,' and 

 a few bones in the Paris Museum collected iu 1868 at Etsiire by the late Alfred 

 Grandidier; one almost complete skeleton and carapace of a ? ; two complete 

 carapaces and a few bones of c? cj in the British Mu.seum, collected by Last at or 

 near Nossi Bey ; two complete carapaces and some bones oi i S iu the Tring 

 Museum, collected by Last in same place ; and a complete carapace in the Museum 

 of the California Academy of Sciences, also collected by Last. 



Distribution. — Northern Madagascar ; only known in semi-fossil condition. 



Material. — Only the eight carapaces and the bones and pieces mentioned above 

 are on record. 



Diagnosis. — Nuchal plate present ; gulars paired ; third cervical vertebra 

 biconvex : front of carapace not at all declivous in front, little lower thau the 

 middle; height at nuchal plate more than 33 % (34-35^) of "straight length"; 

 difference between the percentages of heights at third vertebral and nuchal plate 

 more than 9^(10-13%); carapace very depressed, flat on vertebral region, very 

 thick, orbicular, extremely wide anteriorly, widtli at junction of second and third 

 marginals more than 58% (.)9-61 %); front and hind marginals not everted, 

 produced, very thick, length over curve not more than 128 % (127-128 %) ; vertical 

 height to marginals fairly large, 7-8 % ; length of plastron medium, greatest 

 percentage 87%; (no plates or skin) ; size large, 3(3-75-48--l inches. 



General Remarks. — These tortoises are remarkable, iu that, while having the 

 flat vertebral region of T.sumeirei, they have the most depressel shell of any Giant 

 Land-Tortoise. They are found intermixed with the bones of Hippopotamus, 

 Aeptjornis, and Crocodilus robiistiis, but only the last named survives in a living 

 state on Madagascar. 



Testndo abrupta Vaill. 



Testudo abnt2ita MUae-Edwards, ex Grandidier in lit., Compt. Rend. 1868, Part 2, p. llt)7. (Xoui. 



nud.) 

 Testudo ahrupta Vaillant, Compt. Rend. 188.j, Part 1, pp. 874-77. 



Ti/pe specimens. — An imperfect carapace and some bones collected in 1868 at 

 Ambonlitsate by the late Alfred Grandidier, in the Paris Museum. 



Distribution. — Central Madagascar ; only known in a semi-fossil state. 



Material. — Only the above-mentioned carapace and bones are on record. 



Diagnosis. — Nuchal jdate (?) ; gulars paired ; front of carapace strongly 

 declivous, much lower than middle ; carapace strongly dome-shaped, almost semi- 

 circular, costals flat and vertical ; carapace abruptly declivous all round ; front and 

 hind marginals not everted and not produced ; general shape like Testuilo radiata. 



General Remark-''. — JShows ancestral affinity to radiata. 



