68 Zoological Society : — 



The depressed form and divided caudal plates induce me to place 

 this genus in Emydidce. In external appearance it much resembles 

 the North American Land Tortoise, Testudo go-pher, but it is at once 

 known from that species, and all the other genera of TestudinidcB, 

 Emydidce and Chelydidce, by the peculiar form of the pectoral shields, 

 which at first sight might be mistaken for a very large-sized inguinal 

 shield, if that plate were not also present. 



In this respect it somewhat resembles the genus Kinosternon, but 

 there the shield is only narrower at the inner end, and rather nearer 

 to the centre of the sternum. 



Various genera of TestudinidcB have the pectoral plate much 

 smaller than the others ; and perhaps the small size of the pectoral 

 shield in this genus shows its affinity among the Emydidce to that 

 family. 



If it were not for the irregular diA-ision of the caudal plates, and the 

 form of the pectoral plate, it might be regarded as nearly allied to 

 the very variable Testudo Indica. 



1. Manouria fusca. 



Pale brown, nearly uniform ; discal shields concentrically grooved, 

 with a central areola ; the anterior and posterior lateral margins acute, 

 slightly sinuated and rather bent up ; the humeral and abdominal 

 ])lates longer than broad, the abdominal very large ; the gidar pro- 

 duced, narrowed in front. 



Hab. Singapore. 



Unfortunately we only possess a single very imperfect specimen of 

 his very interesting Tortoise, wanting several of the discal shields. 



2. Emys laticeps. 



Shell pale olive, yellowish beneath ; sides rounded, hinder lateral 

 margin rather expanded and recurved, hinder end rather compressed 

 above ; shields thin, transparent, inferior plates mth a narrow black 

 edge ; head large, short, broad, covered with a smooth skin ; neck 

 with very narrow yellow lines. 



Hab. West Africa, River Gambia (31. Cast any). 



This is the only Emys yet found in West Africa, and is easily 

 known by its short broad head. 



Fam. 2. Chelydib^. 



3. Hydromedusa subdepressa. 



Shell oblong, depressed, dark brown, entire, rounded in front, 

 rather angular behind ; nuchal plate short, broader than the post- 

 vertebral ; post-vertebral square, as long as broad, with the front 

 angles produced ; sternum pale brown ; gular plates short, unequal ; 

 head grey ; lips and beneath white ; neck with small conical warts. 



Hab. Brazils. 



There is in the British Museum collection a single adult specimen 

 of this species, which has some of the plates of the back and ster- 

 num divided into a number of small rovmdish shields. 



The specimen was sent from Brazil to Mr. Brandt of Hamburg, 



