EMYS SERRATA. 51 



Colour. The colour of the shell is dark brown, approaching to black; each 

 plate is marked with irregular yellow stripes or bands; those on the lateral plates 

 are sub-radiate. 



The sternum and inferior surface of the marginal plates is yellow. The gular, 

 the brachial, and generally all the marginal plates are marked with a large, 

 round, or oblong black spot; those on the marginal, are situated on the posterior 

 part, near the suture of the adjoining plate. In some specimens these spots exist 

 only on the gular plates, Avhere they are very constant. 



The head is black, marked with yellow lines, the largest beginning at the tip 

 of the snout and running to the occiput. The jaws are horn colour, traversed 

 by a yellow line, which begins at the nostrils and descends downwards and back- 

 wards, increasing in its descent, and continued all along the neck; a second line 

 extends from the snout to a large yellow spot situated behind the cheek. The 

 neck is dark coloured above, with stripes of yellow, which begin indistinctly 

 about the head. At the back of each eye is a large yellow spot, whence begin 

 two lines of the same colour, one runs along the upper surface of the neck, the 

 other passes below the tympanum to the throat. The throat is dusky and marked 

 with broad yellow stripes or bands; the central is broad but not very regular; 

 sometimes it divides and then reunites, but soon breaks again into blotches. 



The anterior extremities are black in front, with two or three yellow bands; 

 these sometimes bifiircate near the toes, and are often continued into the web, 

 which is also yellow, or they run along the convex part of the nails, giving them 

 a yellow tinge. The yellow stripes are less regular on the inferior surface, but 

 generally there is one large band along the posterior border. The posterior 

 extremities are dark above, varied with yellow; the latter colour prevails on 

 their inferior surface; many transverse bands and blotches of yellow are seen 

 about the nates. The tail is black above, with a yellow line bifurcating near the 

 basis; below it is yellow, with the margin of the vent black. 



