OSTEOLOGY OF THE NEW GUINEA TURTLE WAITE. llo 



The mandible has the elements distinct but no symphyseal 

 suture is apparent in the adult ; the coronoid and postarticular 

 processes are well developed. The hyoids were removed by the 

 natives and not recovered. Baur described the supraoccipital 

 process as " club-shaped," this scarcely conveys an idea of the true 

 form but it will doubtless be understood that the outline as seen 

 from above or below only is intended ; the whole process being 

 foi-med of two lamellae at right angles to each other, a \ertical 

 crest and a basal lateral expansion. The question raised by this 

 writer as to whether the pterygoids are completely separated bj- 

 the basisphenoid or not, is now answered in the affirmative. Baur 

 also remarks that in the type the frontals are excluded from the 

 orbits, I am not aware how this information was obtained, but in 

 the specimen under examination, as above described and as also 

 shown in the photograph (pi. xxvi.), the frontal forms a portion of 

 the orbital boundary, though the smallest of any bone so doing. 

 Another point raised is the condition of the premaxillary, this has 

 already been determined by Boulenger to be a single bone, and 

 he also found that " the pterygoids are not turned up in front.'' 



Ve7-teb}rn. — The CERVICAL vertebrae are comparatively short and 

 do not possess transverse processes. Though but five of the eight 

 presumed cervical vertebrie were preserved, it would seem tliat 

 the neck is shorter than the combined dorsal vertebrae. 



The first vertebra (axis) is biconcave and has all the elements 

 united into a single bone, the postzygapophyses are long and 

 widely spread. 



The second vertebra (atlas) is convexo-concave and has the 

 spinous process well developed. 



The third vertebra is also convexo-concave and, as usual, has no 

 spinous process. 



The fourth vertebra, the character of \\hich has an ii)H)ortant 

 bearing on the classification of the oi'der, has most unfortunately 

 had the posterior j)oi'tion cut away, anteriorly its articulation is 

 convex. 



The three following vertebra? are absent, but the last cei'v ical, 

 which may be presumed to be the eighth, is doubly biconvex so 

 that the articulation between the seventh and eighth cervicals 

 and the latter and the first dorsal is of the ginglymoid t}-pe. 

 The posterior articular surface of the eighth vertebra extends 

 along the whole length (;f the curved portion and the dipping 

 action is thus very considerable. The usual forwardly directed 

 ventral keel is, in this species, rejilaced by a pair of conical pro- 



