42 FOSSIL TURTLES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



America at that time yet harbored Dermatemydidae; while Europe gave asylum to 

 Chelydridae and to the peculiar genus Ptychogaster. 



During the Miocene, land tortoises, Testudinidae, abounded in both America 

 and Europe, turtles especially characteristic of dry lands. Europe possest various 

 genera of Emydidae and species of Chelydra, a genus now found only in North 

 America, but apparently a late immigrant thither. 



There are evidences that during the Pliocene the turtle population of Europe 

 diminisht in genera, species, and probably in individuals. Trionychidae were still 

 found in Italy, but are not known after this time in Europe. 



An interesting region for the student of chelonians is found in India. Here 

 numerous species of Trionychidae, Emydidae, and Testudinidae have been exhumed 

 from late Tertiary; but most of the forms appear to belong to existing genera. 



From the Upper Eocene fluviomarine beds of the Fayum of Egypt we have 

 recently secured a most interesting and instructive addition to our knowledge of 

 the turtles of that time, Dr. C. W. Andrews having described 9 species from those 

 beds. One of these is a species of Psephophorus, related to Dermochelys. Of 

 Testudo there are 3 species, a shell of one of which had a length of 1500 mm. A 

 portion of the skull of a supposed species of Thalassochelys is also described. Of 

 Podocnemis there are 2 species. Besides these, a new genus of Pleurodira, Ste- 

 reogenys, with remarkable characters, is made known to us. 



We must not omit to mention that remarkable Pleurodiran turtle, Miolania, 

 which was originally described from remains found in Pleistocene deposits on 

 Lord Howe Island, east of Australia. A second species was afterward discovered 

 in Queensland, Australia; and more recently Dr. A. S. Woodward has described 

 a third species from northern Patagonia. Outside the remarkable structure of 

 this turtle, it becomes interesting for the reason that its presence in the regions 

 named appears to confirm the theory that there was once land connection between 

 Australia and South America. 



