306 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



Testudo ephippium Giinther 



Duncan Island Tortoise 



Plates 39 to 52. 



Testudo ephippium GunthEr, Trans. Royal See. Lond., CLXV, 1875, p. 

 271. pis. 34, 35 fig. B, 37 fig. C, 38 fig. C, 39 fig. C, 42 fig. B, 44 fig. B, 45 fig. 

 B ; GuNTHER, Gigantic Land Tortoises Brit. Mus., 1877, p. 81, pis. XXXI B, 

 fig. B, XXXIX, XLIV, XLII fig. C, XUII fig. C, XLIV fig. C; Boulen- 

 GER, Cat. Chelonians Brit. Mus., 1889, p. 171 ; Baur, Am. Nat. XXIII, 1889 

 (1890) p. 1040; Gunther, Novit. Zool., Ill, 1896. p. 329, pis. XX-XXII ; 

 LiDTH de Jeude, Notes Leyden Mus., XX, 1898, p. 126; pis. III-V; 

 Gadow, Cambridge Nat. Hist., VIII, 1901, p. 378 ; HellEr, Proc. Washing- 

 ton Acad. Sci., V, 1903, p. 57; Beck, Seventh Report N. Y. Zool. Soc, 1903, 

 p. 15 ; Siebenrock, Zool. Jahrb., Suppl. X, 3, 1909, p. 534. 



Testudo abingdowii (part), Baur. Am. Nat., XXIII, 1889 (1890), p. 

 1039. 



Type specimen. — Museum of Science and Arts, Edinburgh. 

 Adult male. Straight length 33 inches. Origin unknown. 



Distribution. — This tortoise has been found only on Dun- 

 can Island. 



Material. — There are in the Academy's collection eighty- 

 six specimens of this tortoise. Twenty-five of these are males. 

 This race and those found in southeastern Albemarle are the 

 ones most abundantly represented in museums. 



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

 tebra biconvex; front of carapace high, higher than or but 

 little lower than middle ; height at nuchal notch more than 

 38% (39 to 54%) of straight length; difference between per-_ 

 centages of heights at third vertebral and at nuchal notch less 

 than 12 ( — 11 to +11) ; carapace saddle-shaped, usually nar- 

 row anteriorly, width at margin of junction of second and 

 third marginals not more than 39 to 59% ; first marginals 

 sometimes much everted, their most prominent points sepri- 

 rated by less than 30% (17 to 29%) ; length over curve not 

 more than 123% (109 to 122%) ; usually greater than width 

 over curve ; vertical distance from lower surface of plastron 

 to lower edge of lateral marginals great — 7 to 12% ; general 

 size rather small, straight length 18.4 to 29.5 inches; plastron 

 of moderate length, 75 to 88% ; plates generally smooth in 

 adults; pectorals usually forming a suture on median lin:; 

 eighth marginal plate not reduced, with a considerable supe- 

 rior border; lower jaw and throat in males marked with 

 yellow. 



