AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 2m 
neck completely retractile, latter long and bending in a sigmoid 
curve in a vertical plane. Dorsal vertebre and ribs immovably 
united and expanded into bony plates forming a carapace. Pari- 
etals prolonged downwards, forming a suture with pterygoids 
or separated from latter by interposition of epipterygoid. Ptery- 
goids broad throughout, separated from each other, and basi- 
sphenoid joining palatines. Mandible with articulary concavities. 
Outer border of tympanic cavity notched. Cervical vertebrze 
without transverse processes. Articulation between last cervical 
and first dorsal vertebra by zygapophyses only. Pelvis not 
anchylosed to carapace and plastron. Ejpiplastra separated from 
hyoplastra by ,A-shaped entoplastron. Marginal bones’ absent 
or forming an incomplete series, not connected with ribs. Feet 
broadly webbed. ‘Toes long, 5-5, and claws only 3-3. Fourth 
digit with 4 or more phalanges. 
Fierce aquatic carnivorous voracious turtles in the rivers of 
Asia, Africa and North America, constituting rather a large 
family. A single genus within our limits. 
Genus AsprponEcTEes Wagler. 
The Soft Shelled Turtles. 
Aspidonectes spinifer (Le Sueur). 
RV AiR 572 
Common Soft Shelled Turtle. 
Carapace broadly oval as viewed above with greatest width 
about last #/, of its length, entire, greatly depressed, and scarcely 
carinate, edges more or less soft in comparison. Anterior margin 
of carapace would form a very obtuse triangle with apex at nape 
of neck. Carapace when viewed laterally with greatest depth 
about third vertebral plate, and posterior descent of profile much 
more gradual than anterior, which is rather abrupt. Median 
vertebral keel obsolete, broadly convex, and only developed 
