2 EMYDOSAURIAN AND TESTUDINIAN REPTILES 
large fresh water tortoises discovered in the Fly River by that 
indefatigable explorer, Sir William Macgregor, during his 
term of office as Lieutenant-Governor of British New Guinea. 
Of the first of these, Carettochelys insculpta, Ramsay (see p, 
28), only the typical specimen and two imperfect skulls 
are known, while the second is represented by a single example 
in the collection of the Queensland Museum, described (see 
p. 11) below as Devisia mythodes. From the large size and 
remarkable appearance of these two species it is impossible 
but that they are well known to the natives ; and if they are, 
as from their apparent rarity seems probable, decadent forms, 
jt is all the more vitally necessary that the sum of the know- 
ledge possessed by the natives, both recent and legendary, 
of their habits, breeding, food, and other points of their domes- 
tic economy, should be collected and collated with the least 
possible delay. New Guinea has always been noted for the 
beauty, wealth, and singularity of its avifauna, and as far 
as my experience goes the fresh water fauna—reptilian 
batrachian, and ichthyic—is equally imteresting and remark- 
able. I am firmly of opinion that in these branches of zoo- 
logical science there lies in Papua a rich and prolific field of 
research as yet unexplored or merely touched. 
Before proceeding to the discussion of the various genera 
and species it will be interesting to contrast in parallel columns 
the forms which are respectively indigenous to Australia 
and Papua. 
The species which are preceded by an asterisk (*) are 
desiderata in the Queensland Museum. 
AUSTRALIAN, PApuan. 
Order J. Emydosauria. 
Familv Crocodilide. 
CROCODILUS. 
1. Crocodilus johnstonii. 
Dy porosus. 1. Crocodilus porosus. 
Order II. Testudinata. 
Family [. Sphargidide. 
T. DERMOCHELYS. 
” 
1. Dernochelys coriacea. 1. Dermochelys corvacea. 
Family IJ, Chelydride. 
I]. Devista. 
2. Devisia mythodes. 
Family IIL. Cheloniidee 
IIT. CrHenonta. 
2. Chelonia mydas. 3. Chelonia mydas. 
