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Geomyda, Gray. 



Shell with the general characters of Testudo. Sternum con- 

 cave in males, Hat in females, but with divided caudals, and hind 

 toes webbed. Zygomatic arch none. 



G. grandis, Gray. An. and Mag., N. H., 1861, p. 218. 

 Cyclemys 'platynota, Gray, apud Blyth. J. A. S., vol. 24, 

 p. 714. 



Nuchal plate triangular. A flat ridge along the vertebral line. 

 Anterior margin of shell smooth, posterior strongly serrated. 

 Shell above, very dark brown, almost black, rayed in the young ; 

 below handsomely black, and yellow rayed. Colour of animal 

 pale muddy olive, profusely spotted with dull orange. Specimens 

 attain to 18 inches in length. Old specimens are often eroded 

 or overgrown with weeds from lying in marshes. 



Inhabits Pegu, Tenasserim and Camboja — vide P. A. S,, 

 Bengal, 1874, p. 82. Oviposits in December in Pegu. Eggs 

 strong, cylindrical. Four. Size 2-56 X 1*60. The habits 

 of Geomyda are aquatic, as its webbed feet indicate ; and speci- 

 mens oi grandis are often taken completely encrusted with weeds, 

 the condition of the shell depending on the dry or marshy cha- 

 racter of the spot, where the individual may have passed its life. 

 But for its Hat sternum, which I presume the males of E'jiiys 

 trijuga possess, I should be inclined to place trijuga in Geomyda, 

 as the habits of the animals are so similar, and their structure 

 also. In Geomyda there is no zygomatic arch ; in Melanochelys 

 Gray, it is described as imperfect, but there is grave doubt if 

 the skull figured by Gray (Sup., Cat. S. Rep., p. 34) as that 

 of Melanochelys trijuga, really belongs to that species, 



G. spinosa, Bell. 

 Nuchal plate triangular. Back flattened, keeled. Front and 

 hind edges serrated. Costal plates with a sub-superior, posterior, 

 areola, with a slight sub-conic tubercle. Colour above chesnut, 

 below yellow, brown rayed. In the young, each costal areola 

 armed with a distinct spine. Length of not fully adult shell, 8 

 inches. 



