BATAGUR AFFINIS. • 41 



himself; it is stuffed, and belongs to the East India Collection. The second is quite young, 

 and is one of those examples named by Cantor Tetraonyx affinis, a species confounded by him 

 with Batagur baska. Both have five claws anteriorly, convex posterior postgular margins, no 

 nuchal plate, and the first vertebral broader than long ; they much resemble a species from 

 Borneo [B. pictus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p. 264), which also has no nuchal plate, but 

 is distinguished by having only four anterior claws. 



These two specimens appear to show that the absence of the nuchal plate is of specific 

 value in this case, and therefore it is highly improbable that the Emys trivittata of Dumeril 

 and Bibron is identical with our species. We therefore prefer to retain the name given bj^ 

 Cantor to the younger specimen, although he has confounded two species under it. 



We add, fii-st, some of the characters of the adult specimen, the shell of which is 18 inches 

 long by 13 inches broad. It is very convex, with the lower part of the sides very broad; its 

 hind part is not much depressed and scarcely dilated ; the serrature of the hind margin, 

 which is visible in the young, has become nearly entirely obsolete ; scarcely any trace of a 

 vertebral keel remains. Sternum distinctly rounded, truncated in front. 'Nuclial plate none ; 

 the first and second vertebrals broader than long, the fourth not much longer than broad ; 

 all the vertebrals smooth, nearly even. Caudal plates longer than broad. Gulars rather 

 broader than long, the suture between them being half as long as that between the post- 

 gulars ; the hind margins of the postgulars form a slight curve ; the abdominals are the 

 longest of the sternal plates. Anals quadrangular ; the sutui-e between them is longer than 

 their hind margins. The upper part of the shell is yellowish green, with three broad longi- 

 tudinal black bands ; the lower parts are uniform yellowish ; a large black blotch at the 

 anterior angle of the upper side of each marginal plate. 



The shell of the young specimen is rather soft, flexible, 2^ inches long and 2^ inches broad. 

 It is much depressed, suborbicular, somewhat longer than broad, with an obtuse vertebral 

 ridge not interrupted by prominences, and with an interrupted linear costal ridge ; this 

 costal ridge is rather nearer to the vertebral line than to the lateral margin of the shell. 

 Posterior margin of the shell moderately serrated. Nuchal plate none ; all the vertebrals 

 broader than long, except the last, which is longer than broad, and about twice as broad as 

 the caudals. Sternum narrow, with strong lateral ridges : gulars broader than long ; post- 

 gulars, pectorals, and abdominals nearly equal in length ; the suture between the anals is 

 longer than their hind margins, which meet at an obtuse angle. 



Head covered with undivided skin. Jaws not denticulated, the upper with a slight notch 

 anteriorly. Tail shorter than the head. Feet strongly webbed; front part of the fore leg 

 with imbricate, narrow, transverse scutes ; claws feeble. 



Cantor says that it is not numerous in the rivers and ponds of the Malayan Peninsula and 

 of Pinang ; the largest specimen examined was the adult example described above. 



The figures of the young are taken from one of Cantor's typical specimens. 



