343 Zoological Society :- 



Notice of some Indian Tortoises (including the de- 

 scription OF A New Species presented to the British 

 Museum by Professor Oldham). By Dr. J. E. Gray, 



F.R.S., ETC. 



The most interesting specimen of the very curious series of 

 Indian Tortoises presented to the British Museum by Professor 

 Oldham, is a fine full-grown example of a species which so strongly 

 resembles the South American Testudo tahnJata, in size, form and 

 colours, that it might easily be mistaken for a specimen of that 

 species which had been taken to India in some vessel. But on a 

 closer examination it is easily distinguished from the American kind 

 by the following particulars : — 



First. It belongs to the Old World division of the genus, or the true 

 genus Testudo, characterized by the last vertebral plate being only 

 as wide as the caudal and the hinder half of each of the hinder 

 marginal plates, instead of being of the width of the caudal and the 

 hinder marginal plates, as is the case with the American " Gophers," 

 including the species Testudo tabid at a and Testudo go-pher. 



Secondly. It has a large, elongated, well-marked nuchal plate, 

 which is never found in Testudo tahidata. 



Thirdly. The hinder notch is more angular and acute. 



The specimen sent from India has the deeply concave sternum^ 

 which is supposed to mark the male animals, as is the case with many 

 specimens of T. tahidata. It is sent under the name of ' Testudo 

 elongata,' which I willingly adopt ; as it may have been noticed 

 under that name in some Indian periodical which has not yet come 

 under my observation. 



1. Testudo elongata. 



Thorax oblong, rather depressed, truncated in front, rounded be- 

 hind, black ; shield yellow-edged. Sternum rather narrow, trun- 

 cated in front, angularly notched behind, yellow, largely black-varied. 

 Nuchal plate elongate. The hinder vertebral plate as wide as the 

 caudal and the hinder half of the hinder marginal plates. 



Hab. India, " Mergui." 



Note. — Since the above was written, I have received a Part of 

 the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal for 1856, and I find 

 the following observations on this species, which appears to have 

 been mentioned in a preceding volume : — 



Testudo elongata, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, xxxii. 639. 

 Vol. XXV. 1856, Ixxxiii. 712. 



Mr. Blyth states, "A number of living specimens have been re- 

 ceived from Captain Berdmore. 



" Colour of naked parts olive-grey varied with dull yellow." 

 Mergui, Tenasserim River, 



