OBSERVATION'S ON TESTITDO NIGRITA — WAITE. 97 



further handled, we had to make the best of things. Although 

 not so good, the photograph (Plate xxi.. Fig. 1) shows sufficiently 

 the principal secondary sexual characters ; these are : — the great 

 concavity of the plastron, the angular aspect of the xiphiplastral 

 plates, and the comparatively long tail. 



At the time of my visit, the upper posterior portion of the 

 carapace of the female was much abraided, owing to the efforts of 

 the male, who had been paying her considerable attention. 



As each tortoise has its individual history, the two may now 

 be treated separately. 



The Male Tortoise. 



The male was commonly called " Rotumah " in the gardens and 

 is, I find, directly traceable to the Galapagos Group, but from which 

 island it was obtained is not known. This is to be regretted, as 

 it is the only species whose definite habitat has not been 

 ascertained. 



For particulars of the early history of this tortoise I am 

 indebted to Miss Annie C. E. MacDonald. About the year 1866 

 it was given to her father, the late Alexander MacDonald, by 

 King George of Tonga, and was what was called a "chief's gift," 

 that is, a gift supposed to pass between two great chiefs of equal 

 standing. When taken to Tonga from Rotumah, the reptile 

 caused a great sensation among the natives, and was presented to 

 Mr. MacDonald in recognition of his kindness to the King's son 

 when in Sydney, both father and son having taken a violent fancy 

 to the well-known trader. 



The tortoise was brought to Sydney in the schooner " Ida," one 

 of MacDonald and Smith's whalers. Captain Howard, who was 

 in command of the vessel, had known the tortoise for fifty years 

 previously on the island of Rotumah, it having been landed there 

 from the Galapagos Islands by an American whaler many years 

 before. It was within the memory of the inhabitants, always of 

 the same size. 



From 1866 to the end of 1896 the tortoise lived in Sydney, and 

 at the later date was removed to England, having been purchased, 

 I understand, by the Hon. Walter Rothschild for his menagerie 

 at Tring. When the tortoise passed into the possession of Mr. 

 MacDonald he had it photographed, and the accompanying illus- 

 tration (Plate XX.) is repi'oduced from a copy kindly lent by Miss 

 MacDonald. On the margin of this copy are a number of measure- 

 ments made by the owner at the time. These I reproduce {in lit.) 

 below : — Ft. in. 



Length, nose to tail ... ... ... 6 2 



,, shell 

 ,, across shell 

 ,, under shell 

 Girth 



