IQI2. | N. ANNANDALE: Mahanadd1 tortoises. 263 
forming a sharp ridge, which sends off a short triangular tubercle 
at the symphysis ; tmmediately in front of this tubercle a deep 
transverse semi-circular depression ; diameter of mandible at sym- 
physts equal to or a little less than greatest diameter of orbit; a 
faint longitudinal ridge in this region; alveolar part of the lower 
jaw yvelatively shorter than in T. gangeticus; coronal bone more 
nearly vertical ; both jaws, in adult, less blunt at the tip. Branchial 
skeleton as in 7. gangeticus. 
Dorsal surface of carapace pale olive without radiating lines 
in the young; in the adult, dark olive with pale yellowish vermicu- 
late veinings over the bony carapace and a more or less distinct 
marbling on the margin; dorsal surface of limbs and neck dark 
olive, the anterior part of the latter marbled with dull yellow; 
head yellowish olive in old individuals, green in young ones; on 
the vertex behind the eyes two broad, dark olive A-shaped bars 
of irregular outline and often more or less interrupted ; a straight 
but otherwise similar bar running obliquely on each side from 
behind the eye to near the gape; numerous dark-clive spots of 
different sizes between and behind the bars, between the eyes, on 
the snout and the sides of the head; these spots growing relatively 
larger with age; the whole ventral surface greyish white. 
Distribution.—Hasdo river (tributary of the upper Maha- 
naddi), Bilaspur district, Central Provinces; Sambalpur and 
Cuttack, Orissa. 
Type.—Skeleton (skin of head in spirit): No. 17014 in the 
Indian Museum Register of Reptiles, etc. 
I have examined four individuals in the flesh and after 
preservation, as well as the two young skulls obtained by Dr. 
Blanford in the Hasdo river; three of my specimens were 
obtained by Mrs. F. deMonte from fishermen at Cuttack, which 
is situated at the upper end of the Mahanaddi delta, while the 
fourth was taken at Sambalpur, some distance higher up the river, 
by Mr. B. L. Chaudhuri. In skull-characters the six individuals 
agree closely, allowance being made for differences in age. 
It is evident that in this race pigmentation increases with 
age, the opposite being the case in that of the Ganges; for the 
young specimens are stated by Dr. Blanford to have had no 
dark markings on the carapace and apparently only a dark 
veining on the head, while the largest individual examined (the 
type) was much darker than others of smaller size. The entire disk 
of this individual (a male) was 70 cm. long by 55 cm. broad, 
while the bony carapace was 38 cm. by 46 cm. 
It is evident that Dr. Blanford was dealing with two 
distinct species in writing the description cited above, for the 
very young individuals to which he referred as being ocellate 
on the Back actually represent not the new subspecies but 
T. letthii, Gray. The skull of that species is narrower than that 
of either form of T. gangeticus, the symphysis of the lower jaw 
longer and the inner edge of the mandible without any trace of 
a ridge. 
