( 41)7 ) 



FURTHER NOTES ON GIGANTIC LAND TORTOISES. 



By the HON, WALTER ROTHSCHILD. 



(Plate XIII.) 



SINCE my last recunl nf tlio large tortoise liviug at Triug, which 1 have 

 hitherto noticed under the head of Tcstiido elepliantiwi, but whose oldest 

 name is Ti'stado yiyantfa Schweigg., I have taken very carefnl measurements with 

 the aid of two builder's " plumh-lines," and I find I have formerly made several 

 mistakes. I therefore give here correct weight and measurements, taken on 

 August 7tli, 1897. 



Weight 3 cwt. qtrs. 2i!| llis. = SSSJ llis. 

 Length of carapace in straight line . . 40^ inches. 



., „ over curve . . . o'^J^ „ 



Widtli of carapace straight .... 'i'i\ „ 



,, ,, over curve . . .50 „ 



„ tortoise over curve .... ,55 „ 



Plastron width 30 „ 



length 34 „ 



I am pleased to say that, after a lot of trouble, I have succeeded in getting 

 over from Mauritius the very large tortoise which was brought there from Egmont 

 Island, one of the group of islands in the (Uiagos Archipelago called " 77^? Si.r 

 Ixlandx" by its former owner Mons. Leopold Antelme. 



This tortoise had been known to exist on Egmont Island some hundred and 

 fifty years, and was of very large size if not fullgrown when fir.st found there. 



Its carapace is identical in characters with the carapace in the Paris Museum 

 in the Jardin des Plautes, which was described by Messrs. Dumeril k Biliron 

 under the name of 'J'cstudo (hmdhu. Dr. Giinther divided tlie tortoises of tlie type 

 inhabiting the Aldabra group of islands into lour species — Ti-Mvdo elepliantimi, 

 T. jionderom, T. //olol/.f.'fa, tiud T-diiudim. Now further investigations show that 

 T. ponderosa is merely a casual aberration of '/'. ('Icphuiithiii, and 7'. Iiololi.isn is 

 identical with 7'. ijii/anfea Schweigg., e.xcept for tlie divided caudal plate, wliii'h 1 

 have proved is also a casual appearance only in the Aldabra tortoises. 1 therefore 

 think the true classificatiou of the Aldabra tortoises is as follows :— 



Species 1. — Testudo gigantea Schweigg. 



Teshido gigicntea clephantina. 



Tfintndo giganti'a ab. poiidi'ro.vi Giinth. 

 Species 2. — Testudo duudiiii. 



The distribution of these two species is much confused, lint I tiiink it is an 

 ascertained fact that Tratudo daiidini lJuin.it Bih. is, and was, conlined to the southern 

 and largest island, and thnclorc is the only Aldabra tortoise still existing in a 

 wild state. 



Testado giginitcii. and 7'. gigantea elephantina were confined to the northeni 

 and central islands, where they liave been coinpletely exterminat('(l, iuid oidy exist. 



