Dr. J. E. Gray on Chinese Mud-Tortoises. 159 



2. Landemania perocellata. 



Mr. Swinhoe has sent a series of five young specimens of 

 this species in spirit. They are all dark olive-green above, with 

 more or less distinct black spots on the dorsal disk ; beneath 

 white, with a black triangle which reaches nearly across the 

 middle of the sternum, the front angle being continued in a 

 longitudinal line up to the front margin of the sternum. 

 There is an oblong black spot on each side of the front por- 

 tion of the sternum, and a pair of large black spots nearly 

 united in the middle line of the hinder portion. The sides of 

 the dorsal disk, the front of the thighs, the front of the hind 

 legs, and each side of the hinder part of the thigh black. 

 These black marks are very distinct in one of the indivi- 

 duals ; in the other specimens they are more or less obliterated, 

 but what spots do remain show that the above is the normal 

 colouring. The upper part of the head is marked with peculiar 

 bridle-shaped black stripes ; the underside is marked with 

 more or less symmetrical oblong white spots surrounded by a 

 black edge, which are sometimes more or less confluent ; and 

 those on the hinder part of the gullet are the largest. Those 

 on the sides of the throat sometimes form two lines converging 

 towards the centre of the throat, the first one commencing from 

 the black streak from the middle of the back edge of the eye. 



Mr. Swinhoe had previously sent eight specimens of this 

 species, of a rather larger size, the dorsal disk of the largest 

 one being 7 inches long. The backs of the dorsal disks of all 

 these specimens are black-spotted like the younger ones ; the 

 chin and throat dark, and spotted and varied with white. The 

 underside of the body is white — the smaller ones being varied, 

 like the smaller ones before described, with more or less dis- 

 tinct black marks. 



Among the specimens of Landemania perocellata is a well- 

 developed one (about 5 inches long and 4| broad) that has 

 a contracted very convex dorsal shield, somewhat like a large 

 limpet. It agrees with the other young specimens of this 

 species by its having the narrow black bridle-like lines on the 

 sides of the face, and the white spots on the throat, exactly like 

 specimens of the usual form. There are in the British Mu- 

 seum, from North America, two specimens of Platypeltis ferox 

 exhibiting the same malformation, which seems to be inci- 

 dental to the species of this family. The Shanghai specimen 

 is a male with the penis exserted, probably from its having 

 been killed by being put in spirit ; but the form of the dorsal 

 disk is not a sexual character. 



The penis is very peculiar in shape, being expanded and 



