Dr. J. E. Gray on Ghelonians. 291 



a broad angular anal notch, and a broad, not inflexed, caudal 

 plate. Perhaps- both were females. 



Peltastes elongatus. 



The males (?) have the sternum rather concave for the whole 

 of their length, and the anal notch deep, angular, with rather 

 long plates at the side. Tail conical, elongate, with a large 

 horny conical spur at the end. 



The females (V) have the sternum quite flat ; the anal notch 

 broad, semicircular, with short, broad, slightly produced anal 

 shields. Tail short, thick, unarmed. 



A half-grown specimen, with a flat sternum, has the anal 

 notch more angular, but broad, and the anal plates rather longer 

 and more acute. Perhaps the notch becomes wider and rounded 

 as the animal approaches the breeding-age. 



All the specimens in the Museum of a broad variety of this 

 species, which came from Bm*mah, have a quite flat sternum 

 and a broad angular anal notch, with moderately long an- 

 gular lateral plates. 



Peltastes Leithii. 



The hinder lobe of the sternum mobile ; caudal plate spread 

 out J sternum flat. 



Peltastes grcecus. 



In the British Museum there are two very distinct varieties, 

 which were regarded as two distinct species ( Testudo grceca and 

 T. mauritanica) by MM. Dum^ril and Bibron ; and there is a 

 very considerable difference in colour, probably arising from their 

 more southern habitat. One has the caudal plate smooth ; and 

 the shell is generally of a dull green colour mottled with black : 

 these are said to live on the north shores of the Mediterranean. 

 The males and females of the others {or at least those that have 

 a rounded, convex, or a flat caudal) are always marked with a 

 distinct deep longitudinal groove in the centre of the caudal 

 plate. There are some shells in the Museum reddish white, 

 with defined regularly disposed black marks : these are said to 

 be confined to tlie south shores of the Mediterranean ; but I have 

 no means of verifying this fact. The same difference of colour is 

 observed between tlie T. marginata of Greece and the variety 

 which has been called T. Leithii of Scinde. 



The British Museum has a specimen brought by Mr. 

 M'Andrew from Asia Minor, and two others obtained at 

 Xanthus. They are all young ; but they agree in being of a 

 pale brownish-white colour, with an elongated spot on the 

 centre of the areola of each dorsal plate. We have the upper 



19* 



