pelomedusidj:. 



191 



Earn. 8. PELOMEDUSID^. 



Enivdidfc, part., Gray, Ann. Phil. {2) x. lS2o. 



EmvdidiL', part., Jkl/, Zwil. Jouni. iii. 1828. 



Stej.'-auopudes, part., Wayler, Syst. Amph. 1830. 



Cht'lyd;v3, part., Oray, Syii. Ilept. 1831. 



EloditL'3 Pleuroderes, part., Dumcril ^- Bibron, Erp. Gen. ii. IS.'Jj. 



Clielydid;e, part., Gray, Cat. Tort. 1844, awl Sit. li<'pt.j^ 1855. 



Ilydraspididie, part., Aya-fsiz, Cuiitr. N. II. U. S. i. 1857. 



CJielyda, part., Stranch, Chclon. Stud. 1802. 



PelomL-dusida), Stornoth;prid:c, PodocnemididiC, Cupe, Proc. Ac. 



JVaVw/. 18()S, pp. Hi), 2s± 

 Pelomedusidaj, I'eltocephalidte, Gray, Suppl. Cat. Sk. Rcpt. i. 1S70. 

 PelomedusidiB, Boidenyer, Ann. S^- May. N. II. (0) i. p. 347 (I8;i8^. 

 Sternotliseridte, Pelomedusida.', Baur, Zool. Anz. 1888, p. 420. 



Plastral bones eleven, mesoplastra being present. Shell covered 

 Avith epidermal shields. Neck completely retractile within the 

 shell ; second cervical vertebra biconvex. A bony temporal arch ; 

 no parieto-squamosal arch ; palatine bones in contact ; no nasals ; 

 prajfrontals in contact; dentary single. Digits moderately elon- 

 gate ; claws Ibnr or five. 



Africa, Madagascar, South America. 



Synoj'isis of tJie Genera. 



No bony temporal roof: mesoplastra extending right across the 

 plastron ; front lobe of plastron movable in the adult ; both pairs 

 of limbs with five claws 1. Sternothaerus, p. I'Jl. 



No bony temporal roof; mesoplastra small and lateral ; both pairs 

 of limbs with five claws 2. Pelomedusa, p. 1 U7. 



A bony temporal roof, the qnadratojugal forming a suture with the 

 parietal ; mesoplastra small and lateral. 3. Podocnemis, p. 200. 



1. STERNOTHJERUS. 



Sternothaerus, part., Bell, Znol. Jour a. ii. p. 305 (1825). 



Pelusios, Wayhr, Syst. Amp/i. p. 137 (1830). 



Sternothaerus, Gra>/, Syn. Ilept. p. 37 (1831) ; Bum. S; Bibr. ii. 



p. 396 (1835) ; Grai/, Cat. Tort. p. 37 (1844), and Sh. liept. i. 



p. 51 (1855) ; Strawh, Chelon. Stud. p. 43 (1862) ; Gray, Proc. 



Zool. Soc. '\m:\, p. 1VJ2, and Suppl. Cat. Sh. liept, i, p. 78 (1870). 

 Tanoa, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 193. 

 Notoa, Gray, I. c. p. 195. 

 Anota (lion Hallow.), Gray, I. c. p. 190. 



Mesoplastral bones extending right across the plastron ; plastron 

 large, front lobe movable in the adult, a hinge being present 

 between the hyoplastra and the mesoplastra. Skull without supra- 

 temporal roof, the quadratojugal widely separated from the parietal; 



