Reptilian Fauna of Sind. 107 



spondcnt Mr. F. Gleadow, of the Forest Department, three of 

 which I believe are undescribed forms. These are :— 



1. Melanochelys pictus . 



Head two thirds as broad as long, its greatest length 3 

 inches. It is covered with skin, divided into plates ; a long 

 central one above a single broad frontal ; a superciliarj on 

 each side, and a small subtriangular plate behind in suture 

 with the sides of the central plate. Temples covered witli 

 numerous irregular-sliaped plates. Upper jaw witli a small 

 festoon on each side^ the groove in the middle of the jaw 

 ratlier deep. A plate in front of the eje in suture with the 

 sides of the frontal ; another nearly as large under the orbit, 

 and a third about twice the size of the latter behind the eje. 

 Anterior half of neck covered with small subimbricate plates 

 in transverse series. Shell oblong-ovate, elevated, mucli 

 arched, nearly half as high as long, nodosely tricarinate, the 

 costal carina being much nearer tlie vertebral carina than the 

 marginal plates. Length of shell over curves 14 inches; 

 breadth over vertebrals 11*75 inches. The sternum is bent 

 uj)wards from the suture of the pectorals with the postgulars ; 

 greatest length of sternum to point of furcate projection of 

 anal plates 12 inches. Anals deeply notched posteriorly, the 

 distance between the projecting ends being 1'5 inch and the 

 depth of notch 1"37 inch. Width of sternum at axillary 

 incision 6 inches, at inguinal 4' 75. Gulars together broader 

 than long, their hind margin received into the subtriangular 

 concavity in front of the postgulars, which are as broad as 

 long. Pectorals very narrow, each 3 x 1'5 inches, the suture 

 between them about equal in length to that of the postgulars 

 and slightly more than half of that of the abdominals. Abdo- 

 minals nearly rectangular, winged beyond the inguinal 

 incisions,, and forming a suture on each side with the inguinal 

 plate and sixth marginal. Postabdominals longer than broad, 

 the length of their suture together slightly less than that of 

 the abdominals ; transverse sutures of postgulars with abdo- 

 minals and abdominals with postabdominals straight ; suture 

 of postabdominals with anals concave ; the suture together of 

 the anal plates is shorter than the suture of a single one with 

 the postabdominal. Nuchal plate oblong (0*75 x 0*5 inch). 

 Vertebrals hexagonal j first somewhat bell-shaped, convex in 

 front, straight behind (except a concavity raesially to receive 

 an apophysis of the second vertebral), sinuately concave on 

 each side in its anterior half and convex lower down. Second 

 and third vertebrals hexagonal, as broad as long ; fourth 



