Vol. II, Pt. I] VAN DENBURGH— GALAPAGOS TORTOISES 3^3 



Testudo hoodensis Van Denburgh 



Hood Island Tortoise 



Plates 52 to 55. 



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

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



Type specimen. — California Academy of Sciences No. 8121. 

 Male. Straight length 22.2 inches. Taken on Hood Island, 

 by Joseph R. Slevin and E. S. King, June 27, 1906. 



Distribution. — This tortoise is known only from Hood 

 Island. 



Material. — The Academy has the skins and bones of one 

 male and two female specimens, one extra skull and some 

 fragments. The Honorable Walter Rothschild writes me that 

 there is in his museum at Tring a carapace without plastron 

 which he refers to this species. 



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

 tebra biconvex; front of carapace high, little lower than mid- 

 dle, height at nuchal notch 42 to 49% of straight length; dif- 

 ference between percentages of heights at third vertebral and 

 at nuchal notch less than 9 (2 to 6) ; carapace saddle-shaped, 

 narrow anteriorly, width at margin of junction of second and 

 third marginals not more than 54% (45%) ; first marginals 

 not greatly enlarged, not much everted, their ventral surfaces 

 not vertical, their most prominent points separated by less than 

 30% (20%) ; length over curve not more than 123% (111 to 

 123%) ; greater than width over curve; vertical distance from 

 lower surface of plastron to lower edge of lateral marginals 

 great, 10 to 12% ; general size rather small, straight length, 

 22.2 inches; plastron long, median length 89 to 93%; plates 

 striated, central portions of vertebrals and costals much ele- 

 vated ; pectoral plates forming a suture on median line ; lower 

 jaw and throat marked with yellow. 



