TESTUDO VERROXII.— Smith. 



Reptilia. — Plate VIII.— Male. 



T. testa supra nigro-brunnea, maculis, radiisque pallide ochreo-flavis variegatis ; infra flava, fascia longitu- 

 dinali brunnca inter scutas gulares et anum ; capite supra subflavo ; pedibus anterioribus antice 

 squamis imbricatis magnis tectis; scutis marginalibus angulum scutis costalibus formantibus. 



Longitudo testae 3 unc. 8 lin. 



Colour. — The upper surface of the shell liver-brown, variegated with rays 

 and blotches of a colour intermediate between straw and ochre-yellow ; the 

 under surface yellow, with a broad irregular liver-brown band, extending 

 from the gular plates to the anus. The yellow blotches, which are nine in 

 number, one towards the centre of each of the dorsal and costal plates, 

 are very irregular in form, and include not only the whole of the areola, 

 but also some portion of each plate in front of it. The rays, all of which pro- 

 ceed from the areola?, and extend partly towards the outer, partly towards the 

 inner sides of the plates, are four or five upon each plate, four at least generally 

 reach to the edges of the plates near their angles ; the fifth, where it exists, 

 is commonly shorter, and situated between the two external rays of each 

 costal plate. Each marginal plate has two yellow rays, which diverge from 

 the areola, and approach or actually reach the point of junction with the 

 costal plates, diverging as they proceed; the areola and outer edge of each of 

 the plates are also yellow ; the areola and lateral edges of the caudal plate are 

 yellow, and from the former, two yellow rays proceed, one to each of its 

 anterior angles. The brown band, which extends along the under surface, is 

 very irregular or deeply broken on the edges, and in several places variegated 

 or clouded by shades of a lighter and brighter tint. Towards the anterior edge 

 of several of the marginal plates beneath, there is a small brown mark, more 

 or less pointed posteriorly, and a few others of a similar form proceed in- 

 wardly from the outer margins of the pectoral and costal plates. The top of 

 the head, and the upper and lower mandibles dusky yellow ; the neck greenish- 

 yellow, freckled with brown. The large scales covering the fore-legs anteriorly 

 livid-yellow, the smaller ones partly brownish-black, partly greenish-yellow ; 

 hinder legs and tail greenish-yellow ; claws a dark horn colour. 



Form, &c. — Shell, viewed from above, five-sided, anteriorly truncated, 



