325 



of the shell with irregular wavy raised lines (fig. 125). Head 

 large, covered with undivided skin, snout prominent, ending 

 in a fleshy, thick proboscis, bent 

 downwards; nostrils situated supe- 

 riorly; eyes lateral; neck short. Limbs 

 flat, webbed to the tips of the digits, 

 with two claws; fore limb longer 

 than hind limb, with 7 9 broad 

 transverse band-like scales anteriorly 

 and three to four transversely en- 

 larged scales at the posterior margin. Flg ; I2 5- 



_, ., . ,, Carettochelys insculpta Ramsay. 



Tail Short, With 1416 Curved Fragmen t of costal plate, nat. size. 



shields above. 



Brown above and below. Length of shell 495 mm. 



Habitat: New Guinea (Strickland river, Dameracura and 

 Kiwai Island at the mouth of the Fly river, Morehead river, 

 Merauke!, Lorentz river!, Stekwa river!, Lake Jamur!). 



The female deposits 17 27 round eggs (fig. 102 ). 



Hi 



7. Fam. TRIONYCHIDAE. 



No epidermal shields on the carapace and plastron, but skin 

 covering them. Head and neck completely retractile; ear 

 hidden; jaws covered by fleshy lips; snout ending in a proboscis. 

 Plastron small, connected with the carapace by skin. Tail very 

 short. Limbs with distinct digits, with three claws. 



Aquatic turtles, living in rivers and ponds; Pelochelys enters 

 the sea. Carnivorous. 



Nom. in dig. Labi labi. 



Key to the Indo-Australian genera. 



A. Plastron without cutaneous valves. 



I. Orbit nearer the temporal than the nasal fossa; 

 proboscis long. 



a. The 8 pair of costals separated in the middle by 



the neurals; postorbital arch keeled exteriorly . , .'. X. Dogania p. 326. 



b. Last pair of costals in contact in the median line; 



postorbital arch flat exteriorly 2. Trionyx p. 327. 



II. Orbit nearer the nasal than the temporal fossa; 



proboscis short 3. Pelochelys p. 33 * 



B. Plastron with a cutaneous valve, which may cover the 



hind limb 4. Emyda p. 332. 



