1863.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON A NEW BATAGUR. 253 



Placentia Bay, about 100 miles from St. John's, Newfoundland, 

 where this species breeds every year. 



4. Notice of a New Species of Batagur from North- 

 western India. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., F.L.S., etc. 



Sir Andrew Smith, M.D., has lately sent to the British Museum, 

 with some other interesting reptiles, a young specimen of Batagur 

 from the River Chenab, which seemed different from any that I had 

 hitherto seen ; but I was disinclined to describe a species on a single 

 specimen in a young condition. 



Dr. Giinther, the other day, found in a collection that was offered 

 for sale at Chatham a specimen of a Batagur, which he thought was 

 different to any that we had in the Museum ; and I have little doubt 

 that this specimen is an older and probably nearly adult specimen of 

 the same species as that sent to the Museum by Sir Andrew Smith. 

 I therefore proceed to give a short notice of them. 



The species is intermediate in character between the sections Ka- 

 chuga and Pangshura. It has the elongated rhombic fourth verte- 

 bral plate of Pangshura ; but the feet are very broad, the toes long, 

 the claws elongate ; the back is evenly rounded, and the second ver- 

 tebral plate broad and six-sided, as in Kachuga. 



Batagur smithii. 



Shell oblong above, rather wider and very slightly dentated be- 

 hind; the back regularly rounded, interruptedly and subnodosely 

 keeled. The three first vertebral shields oblong ; the first rather 

 urceolate ; the second subhexangular, rather broader than long ; the 

 third narrower, nearly twice as long as broad, with a prominent keel 

 on the hinder half ; the fourth very long, tapering, and very narrow 

 in front, square, truncated, and keeled behind ; nuchal shield small ; 

 marginal shields broad, the sixth and tenth with the upper edge pro- 

 duced upwards ; the sternum flat, slightly keeled on the sides, white, 

 it and the underside of the marginal shields blotched with blackish ; 

 the gular plate triangular. 



Hab. North-western India : Punjab ; " River Chenab, 3rd De- 

 cember, 1848." 



The younger specimen is not so strongly keeled ; the second and 

 third vertebral plate are rather broader compared with their length, 

 and the fourth is more nearly lozenge-shaped. 



This species, which will be figured in Dr. Giinther's ' Reptiles of 

 British India,' which he is preparing for the Ray Society, may be 

 known from B. lineata, which it most resembles, by the shell being 

 more ovate, and by the form of the fourth vertebral plate, which is 

 so contracted in front that it is not wider than the keel of the third 

 vertebral shield. 



I have named this species after my excellent friend Sir Andrew 

 Smith, the late Director-General of the Army Medical Board, an 

 encourager of science, and very accurate and industrious herpetolo- 

 gist and traveller. 



I 



