422 Miscellaneous, 



Description of a Soft Tortoise from Camboja. 

 By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S. 



I have only been able to observe this Trionyx in its young state ; 

 but I make no apology for describing it as a distinct kind, as I find 

 from experience that the colouring of the young animal of this family 

 of Tortoises affords one of the best characters for the distinction of 

 the species ; and I believe it is from their not having been studied in 

 that state that the species have been hitherto confounded together. 

 The character thus afforded has the advantage of not being liable to 

 variation from development, as is the case with the comparative 

 length of the free part of the ribs and with the form of the sternal 

 callosities, which have been hitherto chiefly depended on for specific 

 characters. 



Trionyx ornatus. 



Back of the young animal, in spirits, brown, with large, unequal- 

 sized, irregularly disposed black circular spots. Head olive, with 

 symmetrical small black spots on the chin, forehead, and nose. 

 Throat and sides of neck with large, unequal-sized, irregular-shaped 

 and nearly symmetrically disposed yellow spots. Legs olive, yellow- 

 spotted in front. Sternum and under side of margin yellow. Sternal 

 callosities not developed. 



Hab. Camboja {M. Mouhot). 



This species is most like the young of T. gangeticus ; but the 

 dorsal spots are solid, not annular; and the head is olive, dotted 

 with black. 



It has some affinity to Trionyx tubereulatus of Dr. Cantor from 

 Chusan, which appears, from a drawing by Dr. Cantor in the Indian 

 Museum at Fifehouse, to be distinct from any of the other Asiatic 

 species that have occurred to me. That species has eight large and 

 four small white-edged black spots, placed in pairs, on the dorsal 

 disk, the throat with a dark streak on the middle of each side, the 

 chin yellow, black-dotted. The lateral sternal callosities are large, 

 oblong, and the posterior one round. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



On the Anemone nemorosa purpurea. 

 By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S. &c. 



In the 'Annals' for May 1858 (3rd ser. vol. i. p. 397) I mentioned 

 a purple variety of the Wood Anemone as found at Pinner. I ob- 

 served it again the other day in the woods near Chislehurst. This 

 variety or race is not dependent on any local or other external cir- 

 cumstance, as it is found in the same woods as the more common 

 pale or white kind, and generally in patches intermixed with it. 

 This probably arises from all the plants in each patch being flower- 

 ing plants of the same root, or of fragments oi the root, accidentally 

 broken ofF. These patches are scattered in various parts of the woods. 

 There is considerable difference between the two varieties, and I 



