Vol. II, Pt. I] VAN DEWBURGH— GALAPAGOS TORTOISES 335 



Testudo giJntheri Baur 



Vilamil Mountain Tortoise 



Plates 84 to 92. 



Testudo elephantopus GunTher. [ncc Harlan] Trans. Royal Soc , 

 CLXV, 1875, p. 261, pis. Z2,, Z7 fig. A, 38 fig. A, 39 fig. A, 40 fig. A, 41 fig. B 

 42 fig. A, 43. 44 figs. A,A', CD ; Gunther. Gigantic Land Tortoises Brit 

 Mus., 1877, p. 63, pis. XXX fig. A, XLH fig. A— XLIV fig. A, XLVI fig. 

 A, LI— LIII; Rothschild, Novit. Zool.. IX, 1902, p. 448; Rothschild, 

 Novit. Zool., IX, 1902, p. 618; Heller, Proc. Washington Acad. Sci , V 

 1903, p. SZ; SiEBENRocK, Zool. Jahrb., Suppl. X, 3, 1909, p. 532. 



Testudo nigra Boulenger, Cat. Chelonians Brit. Mus., 1889, p. 170. 



Testudo gimtheri Baur, Am. Nat., XXIII, Dec. 1889 (1890), p. 1044. 



Type specimen. — Oxford Museum, England. Skeleton of 

 adult male. Straight length 31 inches. Purchased of a dealer 

 in Paris. Origin unknown. 



Distribution. — Vilamil Mountain and vicinity in the south- 

 eastern part of Albemarle Island. 



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

 one specimens which I refer to this race. The Tring museum 

 has a number of specimens. 



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

 tebra biconvex; front of carapace from 5 to 22% lower than 

 middle; height at nuchal notch not more than 44% (29 to 

 44%) of straight length; difference between percentages of 

 heights at third vertebral and at nuchal notch more than 5 (5 

 to 22) ; carapace not saddle-shaped, broad anteriorly, width at 

 margin of junction of second and third marginals not less than 

 46% (46 to 61%) ; first marginals not everted, without promi- 

 nent points; length over curve not more than 128% (114 to 

 128%), never greater than width over curve; vertical distance 

 from lower surface of plastron to lower edge of lateral mar- 

 ginals small, 3 to 9% ; general size usually rather small, straight 

 length 23.7 to 40 inches ; plastron of moderate length, 70 to 

 87%, often with posterior knobs even in females; plates gen- 

 erally smooth in adults ; pectorals forming a suture on median 

 line; eighth marginal plate not reduced, with a considerable 

 superior border; lower jaw and throat in males sometimes 

 marked with yellow. 



September 30, 1014. 



