South African Tortoises. 107 



rarely five, to tlie hind limb ; a large conical tubercle on the hinder 

 side of the thigh, surrounded with smaller tuljercles in the male. 



Colour : Carapace nearly uniformly dark reddish or yellow- 

 ish brown in living specimens, yellowish in old dead shells, ante- 

 tior three or four neural shields may be narrowly edged with 

 black in front and on the siiles ; plastral shields uniformly dai-k 

 olive or yellowish, often dai-k brown anteriorly; naked parts of skin 

 bright yellow when alive, with minute orange scales. 



Lf'tigtli : Largest shell 10.5 cm. 



Distribution : South Africa — Districts of Willowmore, Aber- 

 deen, and Beaufort West. 



Localities : Willowmore, male and female, presented by J. 

 D. Hugo, Esq., C.G., R.M. Beaufort West, male and two females, 

 presented by P. D. Morris, Esq. Locality unknown, one female ; 

 one carapace, female. Zwart Ruggens, Aberdeen, carapace, male 

 (South African Museum, pres. E. T, Dunn, 18(S1). 



The relationships and distinctive characteristics of the new 

 species can be best expressed in the following synopsis. 



Synopsis op Species of Homopus. 



L 1. Carapace depressed, of equal depth throughout. 

 a, fore liinh with four claws ; inguinal shield very small. 



1. Posterior margin of carapace not serrated ; a large femoral 

 tubercle present or absent ; a large prefrontal shield, partly divi- 

 ded longitudinally from behind ; beak strongly hooked ; carapace 

 olive, areolae reddish brown, plastron brown in the middle, yellow 

 towards the periphery ; length, 10 cm. a)'eolatiis. 



2. Posterior margin reverted and serrated ; a very large coni- 

 cal tubercle on hinder side of thigh ; a pair of large pre- 

 frontal shields, followed by a large frontal ; beak feebly hooked ; 

 dark or pale brown above, plastral shields yellow, brown anterioi-- 

 ly ; each shield edged with black ; length, 13 cm. fenioralis. 



h,fore limb with fire claws ; inguinal sJiield large, in contact 

 IV i til femoral. 



3. Posterior margin of carapace feebly serrated ; no large 

 conical tubercle on thigh ; a large frontal and a pair of prefi-ontal 

 scales ; beak scarcely hooked ; carapace black, each shield with a 



