Dr. J. E. Gray on neio Australian Tortoises. 117 



maxillaries. The beak is rather broad at the base, but sud- 

 denly narrows and becomes one-third of its width, and tapers 

 to a small point ; the intermaxillaries and vomer, as seen in 

 the palate, are linear. The lower jaw is attenuated in front, 

 with a regular, angular gonys under the hinder part of the 

 symphysis, which is elongate and one-third the entire length 

 of the jaw in extent. 



The differences of the skull are too great to depend on the 

 age or sex of the specimens ,• and there is very great difference 

 of size between the two animals, the one jjeing 27 and the 

 other only 9 feet long ; and the most perfectly developed skull 

 belongs to the smaller specimen. I therefore propose to give 

 the name of Berardius Hectori to the smaller specimen of Dr. 

 Hector, figured on plates 14 and 15 of the Trans. New Zeal. 

 Inst. vol. iii. p. 128. 



This skull has some affinity to the typical ZipMiis^ but is 

 at once known to be a Berardius by the anterior position of 

 the teeth. 



P.S. Dr. Hector, in a note accompanying the third volume 

 of the ' Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,' just re- 

 ceived, observes : — " It is curious that the most commonly 

 found Cetacean bone in the old alluvial deposit is the skull of 

 Berardius^ although now so rare. I have seen six subfossil, 

 and only heard of three in the recent state, including that 

 mentioned by Dr. Haast and the one that is, or was, in Paris. 

 They are usually dug up and sent as Moa skulls ! Not long 

 ago I was made referee in a controversy on this subject be- 

 tween the newspapers." 



XV. — On Euchelymys, a new Genus and two neio Species 

 of Australian Freshwater Tortoises. By Dr. J. E. Geay 

 F.E.S. &c. 



In my paper on "Australian Tortoises" in the ' Proceedings 

 of the Zoological Society,' 1856, p. 371, and in the 'Annals 

 and Magazine of Natural History ' for 1863, vol. xii. p. 98, 

 I mentioned there being two distinct varieties of Chelymys 

 macquaria, both having a distinct nuchal shield. 



Having had occasion to examine some specimens of Tor- 

 toises in spirits in the Museum for the purpose of identification, 

 I found that Avhat had been considered a variety of C. mac- 

 quaria were provided with a distinct pair of beards in front 

 of the chin ; and on more carefully examining the stuffed spe- 

 cimen we received in 1856 from Mr. Stutchbury, I found it 



