( 676 ) 



ON GIANT LAND TOETOISES. 



By THE HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD. 



(PI. XI.) 



SINCE Dr. Giinther's monograph of the gigantic tortoises of the Mascarene and 

 Galapogos Islands in 1877, the work of extinction of these e.xtreuiely interest- 

 ing reptiles has been steadily going on, and I think the following notes will therefore 

 not be uninteresting. 



Two years ago I read an article in one of the daily papers about a gigantic 

 tortoise living in Port Louis, Mauritius. I at once wrote out to try and purchase it 

 for my Museum. The Governor, Sir Hubert Jerningham, replied by sending me 

 a 2)hotograph of the creature and a number of particulars, but said this tortoise 

 was the property of the island ui Mauritius, and could not be sold ; he however 

 sent me a living tortoise from Aldabra which had been kept in captivit}' for 

 many years on the Seychelles, and which, next to the Mauritius tortoise, is the 

 largest living tortoise. I have in this article rejirodnced the ])hotograph of the 

 Mauritius specimen, which turns out to be tlie only living or perfect specimen 

 extant of Dumeril's Testudo indica, and 1 here give some of the facts ; a fnller 

 account will follow in a future number. 



The specimen of Testudo indico now ulixc in llie Artillery Barracks at Port 

 Louis, Mauritius, was mentioned in the treaty umhn- wliich tlie island was ceded to 

 Great Britain by the French in 18I0. Tlie specimen has never been examined by 

 any scientific authority, but the photograph plainly shows the absence of a nuchal 

 plate in the carajiace and the extremely Ioikj thick neck, both characteristics of the 

 giant tortoises of the Mascarene Islands as opiJOsed to those of the Aldabra Islands. 

 Therefore it is most likely to be Testudo indica, as this species' shell agrees best 

 with the photogi'aph. In a straight line the Mauritius tortoise measures : — 



Carapace ...... 40 inches long. 



Plastron 28 „ „ 



The tortoise sent me by Sir Hubert Jerningham alive is the largest living 

 specimen of Testudo elepkantina Dum., and on arrival was rather lethargic, but a 

 few days afterwards regained much of its activity. It was measured on August Othi 

 1893, and was as follows : — 



From nuchal i)Iate to extremity of caudal jilate of carajiace in a straight line, 

 38 inches. 



From nuchal jilate to extremity of caudal plate of cara])ace over the curve of 

 the carajiace, 4:3 inches. 



Width over curve of carapace, 4fj inches. 



