2408 TORTOISES, TURTLES, AND PLESIOSAURS 



back of the thigh, as well as others on the lower surface of the hind-foot. This 

 species is an inhabitant of Assam, Burma, Siam, the Malay Peninsula, and Suma- 

 tra, where it frequents moist wooded districts, and is believed to be largely aquatic 

 in its habits. The association of a divided caudal shield, with habits reputed to 

 resemble those of the terrapins, is somewhat noteworthy. 



SIDE VIEW OF SHELI, OF BURMESE BROWN TORTOISE. 

 (From Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1882.) 



In the other three members of this group the nuchal shield is wanting, and the 

 caudal single. Of these, the Argentine tortoise (7. argentina) of South America, 

 and the spurred tortoise ( T. calcarata) of Africa, are characterized by their flattened 

 and uniformly brownish-colored carapaces. On the other hand, the handsome 

 leopard tortoise ( T. pardalis} of Southern Africa, has the carapace highly vaulted, 

 and closely spotted with black upon a yellowish-brown ground, its anterior margin 

 being very deeply notched. * 



The fourth group comprises about ten very beautifully-colored 

 . small, or medium-sized, tortoises, the great majority of which are con- 

 fined to South Africa, although the species here figured ( T, elegans) 

 is an inhabitant of India and Ceylon. All these species are easily recognized by the 

 carapace being extremely convex, and either black in color, with yellow lines radi- 

 ating from the centre of each of the shields of the back, or yellow, or brownish, 

 marked with radiating black lines. Frequently, moreover, the shields of the back 

 are swollen, so as to form more or less prominent bosses. The Indian species, to- 

 gether with an allied one (T. platynotd}, from Burma, is distinguished from all the 

 other members of the group by the absence of the nuchal shield at the front of the 

 carapace. Of the other eight species no less than seven are South African, while 

 the radiated tortoise ( T. radiata) is from Madagascar; one of the best-known mem- 

 bers of the group being the common geometric tortoise ( 7. geometrica) of the Cape, 

 which attains a length of some five and one-half inches. In the eyed tortoise ( 7! 

 oculifera] the pectoral shields of the plastron may not meet in the middle line, as 

 is the case in some individuals of the Burmese brown tortoise. While the elegant 

 and geometric tortoise have the carapace black, with narrow yellow rays, in the 



