296 THE GALAPAGOS TORTOISES. 



matter up with Dr. Traquair who replied "I have to say that I have had the 

 records of the old College Museum searched for information as to the specimen 

 of Testudo ephippium figured and described by Dr. Giinther, and the only 

 entry which we can find which can possibly have any reference to that specimen 

 is one in the year 1822-23 of a 'Large Turtle from Smith Sea — Captain Basil 

 Hall.' ' From this Baur reached a most logical conclusion that the type of T. 

 ephippium, 1875, and that of T. abingdonii, 1877, were both from Abingdon 

 island. By comparisons of other specimens with the descriptions and figures 

 he decided that they belonged to a single species. Revision of the matter tends 

 to confirm this, adding both names to the synonymy of T. elephantopus Harlan, 

 1827, and including as synonyms of the same species T. becki, T. hoodensis, 

 and T. phantastica. The types of T. elephantopus, T. ephippium, T. becki 

 and T. hoodensis represent young to medium ages; T. abingdonii and T. phan- 

 tastica the old and very old. 



