Vol. II, Pt. I] VAN DENBURGH— GALAPAGOS TORTOISES 



257 



depressed race found in southeastern Albemarle, in which the 

 height to marginals is low. Testudo gmitheri,^^ therefore, Is 

 available as a name for that tortoise. 



11. Testudo wallacei Rothschild. 1902 



Rothschild proposed this name for a carapace of unknown 

 origin. He says it belongs to the section including T. vicina. 

 It is not saddle-shaped, but in other respects seems nearer to 

 Testudo galapagoensis than to any other race. It differs 

 from T. galapagoensis in its greater depth, much narrower 

 anterior portion of carapace, convex marginal plates, and in 

 being strongly declivous in front. The total length in a 

 straight line is 32.25 inches. From the fact that between the 

 years 1800 and 1835 most of the giant tortoises were got on 

 James and Chatham islands, and that Captain Porter says the 

 James Island ones were round, Rothschild was of the opinion 

 that this carapace represented the Chatham Island species. 



It would be quite impossible, I think, from this brief de- 

 scription alone to form an opinion of any value as to the- 

 identity of Testudo zvallacei. Fortunately, however, I now 

 have before me a photograph of Rothschild's specimen. Since 

 Mr. Rothschild's article appeared we have received tortoises 

 from both Chatham and James islands. T. zvallacei is very 

 different from the Chatham Island race. The only tortoises 

 which Mr. Rothschild's specimen at all resembles are those 

 of Charles, James, and Jervis islands, and one race of southern 

 Albemarle. Rothschild himself has given reasons for regard- 

 ing it as distinct from the specimens which are believed to 

 have come from Charles Island. We need consider, then, 

 only its relationship to the tortoises of James, Jervis and 

 southern Albemarle. 



The James Island tortoise is one of the races which may 

 be considered as intermediate between the saddle-backed and 

 non-saddle-backed groups. It is narrow, with a long plastron ; 

 and is high in front, with a still higher, somewhat dome- 

 shaped, back. The Jervis and Iguana Cove tortoises have more 

 horizontal backs sloping down anteriorly. The curved length 



i4Dr. Hans Gadow (Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1894, p. 320) has proposed the 

 name Testudo guntheri for certain fragmentary specimens from Mauritius. This 

 term being preoccupied by Baur's applicatioii of it to a Galapagos tortoise, Dr. 

 Gadow's species may be called Testudo gadowi. 



