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specimens are however at present available for examination in 

 the Imperial Museum. 



Family BATAGURiDiE. 



Fluviatile or estuary cheloniaiis, mostly of large size with solid 

 shells, with the cavity of the thorax contracted at each end by 

 an internal bony plate on each side. Sternum flat in both sexes. 

 Food mostly vegetable. Feet webbed. Claws rather weak. 



Pangshura, GroAj. 



Small sized Bataguroids, having the fourth vertebral shield 

 narrowed anteriorly, or decanter shaped. Claws five before, four 

 behind, feet webbed. 



This genus is a very natural one embracing, at the time of pub- 

 lication of Gunther's Monograph, five recognized species. Since 

 then Jerdon has recorded another species, which, though probably 

 only a local race of P. tectum, has been converted into 

 a new genus Jerdonella, by Dr. Gray. Another species has 

 also been added by Dr. Gray, from a specimen obtained from 

 Jerdon, but as that naturalist has not described it, its claim to 

 specific rank seems open to question. P. Leithii Gray (Sup., 

 Cat. S. R., p. 61) is also described from a skull which not impro- 

 bably belongs to an animal of some other genus. The remaining 

 four species have been ranged by Gray under three genera — 

 Pangshura, Cuchoa, and Emia, an arrangement which simply 

 reduces zoological classification to a farce. 



P. tectum, Bell. 

 P. tecta, Gray et aicdorum. 

 Nuchal triangular. Thorax very angularly arched with a strong 

 nodosity on the third vertebral. First vertebral pentagonal, 

 shortest behind. Colours seasonally (?) very brilliant, dark 

 brown or black with a bright orange or salmon red vertebral 

 streak. Below brightly marbled with black and red. Head 

 red spotted, neck yellow lined, and limbs yellow spotted. Grow,s 

 to 7 inches. 



Inhabits Lower Bengal. 



