Vol. II, Pt. I] VAN DENBURGH— GALAPAGOS TORTOISES 299 



ing, but clears off in the afternoon. It is capital tortoise 

 country, everything being green, with plenty of water and 

 cactus. The three tortoises taken were very fat, and showed 

 the effects of good living. We saw no other signs, and they 

 probably are very rare on Abingdon Island. The stomach of 

 the one collected today contained grass and cactus. Beck 

 also found an old shell and a few bones in a cave, where the 

 tortoise probably had fallen in and died. We carried these 

 down, and they are in fairly good condition. 



Testudo phantastica Van Denburgh 



Narborough Island Tortoise 



Plates 30 and 31. 



Testudo phantasticus Van Denburgh, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (4), I, 

 1907, p. 4; SiEBENROCK, Zool. Jahrb., Suppl., X. 3, 1909, p. 535. 



Type specimen. — California Academy of Sciences No. 8101. 

 Adult male'. Straight length 34.5 inches. Taken on Nar- 

 borough Island, by R. H. Beck, April 5, 1906. 



Distribution. — This tortoise is from Narborough Island. 



Material. — The type specimen is the only one that ever has 

 been seen. 



Diagnosis. — No nuchal ; gulars paired ; fourth cervical ver- 

 tebra biconvex; front of carapace high, not lower than mid- 

 dle; height at nuchal notch more than 41% (54%) of straight 

 length; difference between percentages of height at third ver- 

 tebral and at nuchal notch less than 9 (2) ; carapace saddle- 

 shaped, narrow anteriorly, width at margin of junction of 

 second and third marginals not more than 54% (46%) ; first 

 marginals much enlarged, everted more than in any other 

 race, their ventral surfaces nearly vertical, their edges from 

 nuchal notch to prominent point nearly horizontal, prominent 

 point almost a right angle ; distance between prominent points 

 of first marginals more than 30% (32%) ; length over curve 

 more than 123% (124%), greater than width over curve; 

 vertical distance from lower surface of plastron to lower edge 

 of lateral marginals small, 6% ; general size moderate, straight 

 length 34.5 inches; plastron short, 70%; pectoral plates form- 

 ing a suture on median line; eighth marginal not reduced; 

 lower jaw and throat marked with yellow. 



