ISeS.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE BOX TORTOISES. 1 Z-*) 



Dr. Holbrook describes and figures Cistudo blandingii (t. 3) as a 

 separate species, because it has a head Hke Emys, the upper jaw 

 deeply emargiuate in front, the front lobe of the sternum less ele- 

 vated. On these characters Lecomte refers it to L%itremys, and 

 Agassiz to Emy^, as restricted by Bonaparte, who regards E. europaa 

 as the type. The figures of Holbrook look very like Cistudo Caro- 

 lina ; but Agassiz, who forms for it a subfamily, describes it as much 

 more depressed. It is probably distinct ; but I have never seen an 

 American Box Tortoise that could be arranged or confounded, as 

 Leconte has done this, with our European Lutremys. It certainly 

 is not E. meleagris of Shaw, as Agassiz believes. 



II. Sternum-lobes stibequal, both forming part of the lateral sym- 

 physis. The Old World. 



i. Hind foot elongate; toes very unequal, nearly free, second longest. 



2. Pyxidea. 



The thorax convex, solid. Sternum flat ; lobes rather narrow, 

 truncated in front, notched behind. Legs with large band-like thin 

 shields in front ; toes short, scarcely exserted, with band-like shields 

 above, slightly webbed. The hind feet rather elongate ; toes slightly 

 webbed, short ; the second rather elongate, produced, vrith a large 

 claw. Claws conical, acute. 



Pyxidea moxjhotii. 



Cyclemys mouhotii, Gray, Ann. & Mag. N. H. 1862, x. p. 157. 



Hab. Lao Mountains, Siam. 



The back is flattish and sharply three- keeled. 



ii. The hind foot elephantine ; toes subequal. 

 3. Cistoclemmys. 



Thorax convex, solid. Sternum nearly flat, rounded before and 

 behind ; the front lobe large, partly enclosed in the symphysis. The 

 fore feet subclavate ; the toes very short, nearly enclosed, not webbed ; 

 the claws short, blunt. The hind feet elephantine, subcircular ; toes 

 very short, enclosed. Soles with two series of large prominent 

 shields ; the hinder edge keeled, but scarcely produced. Tail 

 shielded beneath. Asiatic. 



This genus, in the convex and sohd structure of the thorax, is like 

 Cistudo ; but the foot is more like that of the Land-Tortoises ; and 

 the hind foot is subcylindrical, instead of elongate as in the Ame- 

 rican genus. 



Cistoclemmys flavomarginata. 



Dark brown, shields of the back deeply concentrically grooved ; 

 the sternum flat, black ; the lower side of the margin of the thorax 

 yellow ; head olive, temple yellow, with a yellow streak on each side 

 of the crown, becoming wider and triangular behind. 



