EMYDID^E. 367 



In the type of T. angutllulatus, as shown in the figure (fig. 469), the hinder peripherals on 

 the left have been pushed forward over the ends of the costals. 



The suprapygal is 1 1 mm. high and 25 mm. long. The eighth peripheral is 5.5 mm. thick. 



From No. 154 we learn that the first vertebral scute was 38 mm. wide and the second 

 40 mm. From No. 155 it is seen that the second and third were each 44 mm. wide; the fourth, 

 42 mm.; and the fifth, 40 mm. What is of special interest is that in No. 155 the tenth marginal 

 scute comes into contact with the outer extremity of the fifth vertebral scute. This is the 

 character on which T. eurypygia was based. A fragment of the plastron of No. 154 of the 

 Philadelphia Academy shows that the femoro-anal sulcus extends forward to the hypoxiphi- 

 plastral suture. Cope states that this character had not been observed by him in any other 

 species of the family. It is, however, occasionally seen in T . Carolina. 



Cope describes a peculiar and fine sculpture as present on the type of his Toxaspis anguil- 

 lulatus. This is a well-markt vermiculation. At the borders of the costals the ridges place 

 themselves at right angles with the sutures. A similar vermiculation is seen in the type of T. 

 eurypygia, but no modification of it is seen where the seventh costal joins the eighth. 



Family TESTUDINIDJE Gray. 



Cryptodira having most of the characters of the Emydidae, but modified for a more strictly 

 terrestrial life. Size medium to very large. Jaws fitted for a vegetable diet. Palate vaulted. 

 Zygomatic and postorbital arches present; the temporal roof not otherwise represented. 

 Stapedial notch closed. Neck retractile within the shell. Plastron suturally united with the 

 carapace, with the buttresses rarely ascending within the carapace. The bridge broad. Neural 

 bones sometimes mostly hexagonal; but often, especially in Testudo, octagonal ones alternating 

 with tetragonal. Penultimate suprapygal usually bifurcate, with its limbs resting on the hinder 

 peripherals and enclosing the hindermost suprapygal. Plastral bones nine. The epiplastrals 

 usually thickened and projecting as a lip. The procoracoid process forming with the body of 

 the scapula more than a right angle. Coracoids greatly expanded at the median border. 

 Humerus with the radial and ulnar processes approximated on the ventral side. Digits short, 

 without rudiment of web. Phalanges not more than 2 in any digit; all shortened; anterior 

 claws usually 5, sometimes only 4; hinder claws 4. Sulcus between the costal and the marginal 

 scutes usually coinciding with the sutures between the costal and peripheral bones. 



The present family is here regarded as including 5 living genera Testudo, Gophcrus, 

 Kinyxis, Pyxis, and Homopus. It seems not improbable that a more accurate study of 

 the skeletons of living tortoises would result in the establishment of additional genera. Kinyxis 

 is confined to tropical Africa, Pyxis to Madagascar, and Homopus to southern and western 

 Africa. Testudo is represented in the present fauna, or has been within historical times, by 

 more than forty species, and these belong to South America, the Galapagos Islands, Europe, 

 Asia, Africa, Madagascar, and the Aldabra, Maritius, Seychelles, Comoro, and Rodriguez 

 Islands. Gopherus (Xerobates) includes the Testudinidae of North America, altogether 3 

 species. 



The extinct genera belonging to this family are Hadrianus, Achilemys, and Stylemys. 

 Besides the extinct species referred to the genera just named, a few belong to Homopus and 

 many to Testudo. 



Extinct species of Testudo are known with certainty from the Lower Oligocene to the 

 deposits of the recent period. A very large species, T ' . atlas, is known from the Pliocene of the 

 Siwalik Hills, India. Its shell reached a length of 6 feet. Other Pliocene species have been 

 described from Europe, among them T . perpimana, from France. Various species are known 

 from the Miocene of Europe, among them T . leberonts, from Mount Leberon, France. T '. 

 gigas is known from a nearly complete specimen and T. eurysternum from fragments, both from 

 the Upper Oligocene of France. A specifically unnamed specimen of the genus is noticed by 

 Lydekker (Cat. Foss. Rept., Brit. Mus., in, p. 91) as being represented by an anterior periph- 

 eral from the Lower Oligocene of France. As remarkt by Lydekker (op. cit., p. 72) there 

 is no known reason why some of the Lower Tertiary species described under the name 

 Testudo may not belong in reality to Hadrianus. Zittel states that the oldest known land- 

 tortoise in Europe is T ' . lamanoni Gray, from the Oligocene gypsmergel of Aix, in Provence. 



