LIVING IN TUB SOCIETY'S MENAGERIE. 



217 



tympanic region along the side of the neck, are confluent with the middle ones behind, 

 and succeeded by some irregular spots. Every scute at the lower side has a broad 

 brown margin with a lateral or subcentral yellow spot. Also the fore legs are orna- 

 mented in front with a broad brown longitudinal band. 



The largest specimens which I have seen had a shield about 15 in. long ; but from 

 the vague descriptions of travellers there is a probability that this Turtle grows to 

 about twice that length. 



Of the skeleton, two specimens are in the British Museum, of nearly the same size, 

 the carapaces being respectively 1-3 and 14^ in. long. The most prominent peculiarities 

 of the osteology have been noticed by Cuvier (Oss. Foss. vol. v. part 2), Owen (Osteol. 

 Cat. Coll. Surg. vol. i. p. 186), and Hoffmann (in Bronn's Thierreich, Eeptil. p. 68) ; 

 but I have observed some points in the structure of the vertebral column which are not, 

 or but slightly, referred to by those authors or by Vaillant, the latest writer on the 

 subject (Ann. Sc. Nat. Zool. 1880, p. 80), whose observations otherwise most closely 

 agree with mine. 



The cervical vertebrae, which, as usual, are eight in number, show the greatest 

 resemblance to those of Chelodina from Australia. The elongate compressed shape of 

 the centra, the development of broad pleurapophyses, the tendency of the posterior 

 zygapophyses to unite into a single process, and, finally, the mode of articulation are 

 the same in both genera. Like Vaillant, I find simple condyles in all these vertebrje ; 

 and not the double convexity and concavity between the sixth and seventh which has 

 been described by Owen. The 1st vertebra is biconcave, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th opis- 

 thoccelous, the 5th biconvex, the 6th procoelous, the 7th biconcave, and the 8th 

 biconvex. In the first, traces of the union between neural arch and odontoid ele- 

 ments can scarcely be distinguished, the entire vertebra being similar in form to the 

 second, but shorter and with the posterior zygapophyses wider apart. In the fourth, 



Kg. 1. 



First, second, and third cervical vcrtebrse of Clielys fimhriata (upper and lateral views). 



2l2 



