NOTES. 109 
in Mutwal, near Colombo. When ‘ Uplands’ was sold to the 
Government in 1894, for the purpose of building a graving dock, 
the animal was removed to Victoria Park, Colombo, where it 
survived only a week. It must have been considerably over a 
hundred years old at the time of its death. For nearly twenty 
years before its death the tortoise was totally blind, but this 
infirmity did not prevent it from roaming over the ‘ Uplands’ grounds. 
‘Tt is stated that when the bell was rung for meals, the tortoise would 
make its way to the bungalow to be fed. The shell and stuffed skin 
of this famous old tortoise are now in the Colombo Museum, so that 
I am able to supply the measurements of the animal. Total length 
from snout to tip of tail, 5 feet ; highest point of carapace above the 
ground, 2 feet; length of shell, 3 feet 4 inches; width of shell, 2 feet ; 
circumference of shell, 10 feet. This ‘ Uplands’ tortoise was a 
specimen of J'estudo elephantina, a species which is still to be found in 
Aldabra, anisland to the north of Madagascar, where it is preserved 
by the British Government. There appears to be no record of the 
circumstances in which this interesting specimen was brought to 
Ceylon.” 
Since the above was written, the Librarian of the Museum has 
directed my attention to an article by M. Sauzier on “ La tortue 
terrestre gigantesque de Colombo” in ‘‘La Petite Revue.” The writer 
throws doubt on the suggestion made by the ‘‘ Ceylon Observer ” 
(April 25, 1870) that the tortoise was sent from Java as a present 
to one of the Dutch Governors of Ceylon, since Java does not 
possess any indigenous giant tortoise. He is disposed to believe 
that the Colombo tortoise came from Mauritius, which was occupied 
by the Dutch up to 1710. He agrees with the ‘‘ Observer”’ that 
the tortoise was over two hundred years old at the time of its death. 
There appears to be no reliable information on this point. 
Lydekker in his book ‘“ Mostly Mammals” has erroneously 
stated that the Colombo tortoise died in 1897, and was a specimen 
of Testudo sumeiret, and Gadow in his volume of ‘‘ Amphibia and 
Reptiles” in the Cambridge Natural History has repeated these 
errors. The Colombo tortoise differs from 7’. swmetret in having 
a small nuchal plate at the anterior end of the carapace. 
There are four closely allied species of Testudo found in Aldabra, 
and these are now grouped together as one species. These are 
gigantea, elephantina, hololissa, and ponderosa, and as the name 
gigantea is the oldest, it claims priority. So that the Colombo 
tortoise now bears the name 7'estudo gigantea. 
Since writing this note I have beeninformed by Mr. P. E. Pieris, 
C.C.S., that there is a giant tortoise living at present near Galle. 
This is probably the “ Matara tortoise ” referred to by the corre- 
spondent of the ‘‘ Indian Field.” Mr. Pieris has promised to get 
further information on this point. 
JOSEPH PEARSON. 
