370 



brouglit \vith hira a series of animals ishich he coUected during his 

 geological researches. 



lu e.vamining this coUection with the intention of selecting those 

 specimens vvbicli will be interesting additions to the very ricii col- 

 lection of Australian animals in the British Museum (including al- 

 most all the species described by Mr. Gould and other recent writers 

 on the fauna of that continent), I was pleased to discover what ap- 

 pears to be a very distmct species of the Australian genus of Long- 

 necked freshwater Tortoises (^Chelodina). 



To the description of this species I have added a short note on 

 the peculiarities of two other species. 



Chelodina expansa, n. s. (PI. XII. adult and young.) 



Shell oblong, rather depressed, broader behind, brown ; platės 

 thin, with short, narrow inoseulating grooves ^ the margins flat- 

 tened, expanded ; the side of the back regularly convex ; the lateral 

 marginai platės rather broad, notrevolute. The steruum flat, bluntly 

 keeled on the sides, yellow. Head, neck and Umbs dark oUve 

 above ; chin, throat, and under side of the lirabs whitish. 



Shell, length 11, breadth 8 inches. Neck 8 inches long. 



The young shell is likę the adult, but the lateral margins are 

 shghtly revolute on the edges, though the platės are broad likę the 

 adult. The under side of the margiu yellow, with a triangular black 

 spot on the front edge of each shield ; the dorsal shield thin, with 

 three distant concentric grooves, with a rather rugose, moderate- 

 sized areola ; the areola of the costal plate subcentral ; the areola 

 of the first vertebral plate is subcentral, of the second, third, fourth 

 and fifth vertebral plate it is on the middle of the hinder margiu ; 

 the areola of the marginai plate is on the hinder outer margin. 

 The front vertebral shield is large, and as broad as long ; the others 

 are much broader than long, the third being the shortest. 



This species differs from Chelodina longicolHs, C. oblonga and C. 

 Colliei, in the generally expanded form, and especially in the breadth 

 and non-revolution of the lateral margin, and in the side of the 

 steruum not being so sharply keeled as in the two latter species. 



It differs from Chelodina sulcifera in the membranous character 

 of the shields, and also in the sternum being narrow in front, likę 

 that of C. oblonga and C. Colliei, and not expanded and broader, as 

 in C, longicoUis and C. sidcifera. 



Chelodina longicollis. 



A fine shell of the adiUt animal of this species, larger than any I 

 have hitherto received, was in the collection. 



The shell is rather convex and 3wollen on the sides, with a deep, 

 broad, rounded coucavity along the centre of the second, third and 

 fourth vertebral plate, about two-thirds the width of the platės. The 

 black sutural liues on the sternum are iiarrow and uniform. 



Length of the shell 8i ; width 6 inches. 



