1872.] 



DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE GENUS ELSEYA. 



511 



are remarkably regular, and, curiously enough, each of these shields 

 is bidentate at the apex. The last vertebral shield is much larger 

 and wider ; but they all vary a little in the size of the shield, which 

 is comparatively smallest in the largest specimens. 



A young specimen from Cape York, North Australia, has the ver- 

 tebral shields short and much broader than long ; the upper part of 

 the thorax is dark olive, the underside white, varied with more or 

 less broad brown lines on the sutures of the marginal and sternal 

 shields ; the head olive, with a paler streak from the nostrils over 

 the eyes to the side of the occiput ; beneath, the throat and sides of 

 the neck white, including the lower half of the tympanum ; a blackish 

 margin to the lower edge of the lower beak, becoming broader behind 

 and extending along the sides of the neck ; the beards white. 



Fig. 4. 



Elscya lathtcrnum, from Kriil't's photograph. 



There is a very young specimen in the British Museum which 

 probably belongs to this species ; it has four beards — that is, the front 

 pair in the usual place and the hinder rather behind it, both pairs being 

 placed along the concavity of the lower jaw on the line of insertion 

 of the skin. I do not know if this is to be regarded as a monstrosity 



