EMYDA CEYLONENSIS. 45 



habits are thoroughly aquatic and carnivorous; they do not attain to a large size; their 

 eggs are spherical. When the water di-ies up, they bury themselves deep in the mud. 



Emyda grakosa. The Bungoma. 



La Chagrinee, Lacep. Quadr. Ovip. i. p. 171. 

 Testudo granosa, Schoepff, Testud. p. 127. tab. 30. A, B. 

 Emyda punctata, Gray, Syn. Rept. p. 50. 

 Trionyx punctata, Gray, Illustr. Ind. Zool. 



granosus. Gray, Illustr. Ind. Zool. 



coromandelicus, Geoffr. Ann. Mus. xiv. p. 16. tab. 5. fig. 1. 



Cryptopus granosus, Dum. ^ Bibr. Erpet. gen. ii. p. 501. 



The odd osseous plate on the sternum is very small ; the plates of the posterior pair rather 

 small, far apart in young specimens, not confluent, and only in very large individuals forming 

 a suture together. Greenish, with large yellowish spots on the head, neck, and shell, which 

 disappear with age. 



This species is very abundant on the coast of Coromandel and in Lower Bengal ; it has 

 been brought by Messrs. v. Schlagintweit from Allahabad (N.W. Hmdostan) and from 

 Sikkim. It grows to a length of 10 inches (shell), and is relished as food by particular 

 castes of Hindoos. 



Emyda cetlonensis. 



Emyda punctata, Kelaart, Prodr. Faun. Ceyl. p. 179. Bell, Testud. c, tab. duab. 

 ceylonensis. Gray, Shield Rept. p. 64. tab. 29. A. 



Scarcely specifically distinct from E. granosa ; the odd osseous plate on the sternum is 

 larger ; the plates of the posterior pair of moderate size, confluent in the adult, and rather 

 close together in young specimens. Olive-green, with indistinct brown stripes, and minutely 

 punctated ; beneath white or fleshy white. Head green, black-striped ; lips yellow. 



The specimens on which this species has been founded are from Ceylon. The shell of the 

 largest specimen examined by the late Dr. Kelaart measured IS^ inches. The same author 

 remarks : — 



" This Water Tortoise is generally distributed in the lower parts of the island, found in lakes and tanks. 

 Several we kept alive for months in a tub filled with fresh water fed freely on animal food, and also on 

 bread and boiled rice. A lai-ge female laid three eggs, globular, about 1 inch in diameter, with a hard 

 calcareous shell. This tortoise, too (like Ernys trijuga), is put into wells to act the part of a scavenger. 

 The shell is in fresh specimens smooth, and it is only in drying that the granular surface of the bony shell 

 is apparent." 



