TESTUDINATA. 149 



bones are visible. The posterior end of the carapace is arched upwards 

 and smoothly excavated ; the postero-lateral borders are thin, and deeply 

 notched at the ends of the scutal sutures. Similar but shallower emargina- 

 tions mark the borders of the marginal scuta. The anterior margin is 

 slightly concave. The lobes of the plastron are narrow, the posterior 

 Avider and slightly emarginate. The bridge is wide, and not more than 

 half as long as the width of the base of the posterior lobe. 



The general surface is minutely rugose or shagreened, on the plastron 

 strongly so, and without other sculpture. The carapace is marked by strong 

 gToo\es disposed in a regular manner. A double groove extends along the 

 median line of the second, third, and fourth vertebral scuta. Other grooves 

 are nearly parallel to this one, whose extremities diverge to the angles of the 

 vertebral scuta. At the anterior angles of the costal scuta oblique grooves 

 converge towards the vertebrals, and are continued backwards as parallel to 

 the median line. They are separated by parallel tuberosities. On the fii'st 

 and last vertebral scuta there are transverse grooves next the adjacent verte- 

 brals, and longitudinal ones towards the margins of the carapace. 



The scuta are well marked. The marginals are all longer than wide 

 except the four preceding the last, which are all wider than long. The last 

 is suboval, and is very small, while the anal is altogether wanting. The 

 nuchal is divided (it is single in B. hebraica), the first marginal is very 

 small and projecting, the third is longer, while the fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 are rather short. The vertebral scuta are all longer than wide, and the 

 fourth is deepl}- emarginate to receive the last scute. The first is a broad 

 triangle with anterior angle truncate, and the two basal ones cut off to a 

 less degree. 



The scutal sutures of the plastron are but little sinuous. The inter- 

 gulars have precisely the form of gulars of Emydes. The posterior gular 

 suture crosses the median line a short distance posterior to those of the 

 intergulars, and each half consists of an obtuse V directed backwards. The 

 posterior humeral suture originates in front of the axilla. There are four 

 intermarginal scuta on the one side and three on the other, the additional 

 one being a small one behind the left axillaiy. The femoro-anal suture is 

 nearly straight. 



