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species of the eight specimens from Maestricht, which are all unknown, 

 three are ascertained to belong to as "many distinct and new species 

 and the one found in the quarry of Grand Charonne, near Paris, also is 

 of an unknown species. Hence it appears, that of fourteen fossil tor- 

 toises, one only appears to be of a known species, and that of the re- 

 maining thirteen, none can be referred to any known species, but five of 

 them are decidedly of new species. 



In this island the fossil remains of this genus are but rarely met with. 

 In the Isle of Shepey some fragments, and a few very good specimens, 

 have been found. Two or three fossil tortoises from this part, in very 

 fine preservation, are in the British Museum ; and Colonel Hawker, of 

 the 14th Light Dragoons, also possesses a very perfect specimen, which 

 he very kindly offered for my inspection and information. Mr. Francis 

 Crow, of Faversham, possesses perhaps the most complete fossil animal 

 of this genus, which has been yet discovered in Shepey. 



The specimens which I possess from Shepey do not empower me to 

 decide as to their species. They are of four different sizes, and appear to 

 me to be of the same species, but of different ages. In no one of them 

 is the dorsal plate perfect, surrounded by its marginal scutelke. Thus, 

 in a very fine specimen, with which I was favoured by Mr. Crow, a 

 series of eight small and narrow hexagonal scutellae, corresponding with 

 the vertebrae, are disposed along the middle of the back; and from these 

 proceed, on each side, as many transversely long scutellae, which appear 

 to have been of a hexagonal form ; but this cannot be determined, since 

 their outer sides, and of course the margin of the shell, has been removed. 

 From this circumstance, I am led to the supposition, that these are the 

 remains of animals whose coverings were partly soft, and that conse- 

 quently the marginal plates, if any existed, were removed as the inter- 

 vening membrane was destroyed. In this opinion I am confirmed by 

 the appearance of the breastplate in one of the specimens, as represented 

 Plate XVIII. Fig. 2 ; where it may be seen, that the sternal plate, with 

 which, in this respect, the dorsal plate may be supposed to agree, has 



