THE LESSER CHELONIANS OF THE NOTOTHEIIIAN 



DRIFTS. 



By C. W. DEVIS, M.A. 



[Betid he/ore the Roijal Socicti/ of Qiieensland, 22)1(1 Sejit., 1HH4.] 



Remains of freshwater tortoises, accompanying bones of Noto- 

 tberium or its associated vertebrates, have been found on the 

 Warburton River (in fiood-time a continuation of the Diaman- 

 tina), on Crinum and other creeks which help to drain the 

 Peak Downs, on the Darhng Downs generally but most abund- 

 antly at Chinchilla, and, finally, on a site (the Eight Mile Plains) 

 a few miles distant from the present channel of the Brisbane River. 

 With one partial exception they are disconnected fragments, scat- 

 tered abroad by the invasion of running water into their previous 

 burial-places. It is obvious that on a few only of such frag- 

 ments we cannot safely base any determinations, unless we 

 happen to find among them characteristic portions of known 

 species ; and further, that the value of any enquiry into the 

 whole subject will be proportionate to the number of such fossils 

 submitted to examination. Chelonian remains have been col- 

 lected on the Darling Downs for several years, but as tke writer 

 was not, at the outset, fortunate enough to meet with a frag- 

 ment indubitably belonging to a recent tortoise, he thought it 

 his duty to wait until material had been collected in sutficient 

 quantity to confirm or correct the judgment. It would be un- 

 profitable to ascertain the actual number of fossils of this kind 

 now in hand ; it is enough to say that by measurement they 

 would be equal to about five cubic feet. They have, it is hoped, 

 proved a sufficient guide to the dominant forms of the period ; 

 twice their number would not throw sufficient light on the rarer 

 kinds. We have, indeed, very much to learn respecting even 



