THE GALAPAGOS TORTOISES. 271 



of the scutes have Uttle convexity; they are flattened, without prominent 

 areolar spaces. The striae persist near the areolae, except in the older speci- 

 mens. On the upper half of the fifth vertebral scute there is a rounded promi- 

 nence or boss and backward from it a steep nearly vertical descent. The upper 

 and the hinder edges of the third marginal meet in a sharp angle on the present 

 individual. The outline of the eighth marginal bends abruptly outward behind 

 the femoral notch and "then continues in a regular curvature to the caudal. 

 The caudal is large; its lower edge is strongly convex below the contiguous 

 marginals and its surface is prominently convex. Faint scallops are formed 

 by the outward edges of the marginals. A faint keel is between the humeral 

 and the femoral notches on the fourth to the eighth marginal scutes. The 

 front edge of the fourth vertebral is less than twice as wide as the hinder. The 

 single axillary scute on each side has faint indications of having been formed 

 by the fusion of two ; the lower is the smaller and solidly united with the upper. 

 The inguinal scales are single. 



On this specimen the sternum extends farther forward than the carapace 

 about one and one fourth inches; it is deeply concave behind the middle and 

 has a rounded prominence along each side of the lower surface. The nuchals 

 are moderate, rounded in front, and have no traces of the lateral angles so notice- 

 able on young specimens. The bones included in the humeral extension in 

 front of the bridge are thick, strong, and curved outward on their outward 

 margins. Compared with the swollen gulars the anal plates are thin; the deep 

 notch between them is crescent-shaped, concave; the outer angles are pro- 

 duced and blunted. 



The scales on the exposed portions of the legs and feet are large, somewhat 

 imbricate and pointed. Each arm has two larger scales in front. Bohind the 

 hand there is another, and a short distance from this a smaller one about half 

 as large. Enlarged scales cover the tail, and the exposed portions behind the 

 thighs, similar to those on large specimens of T. microphyes. 



Carapace black, with a small spot of yellow on the areola of the second 

 vertebral scute. Lower surfaces and head yellow mottled with brown or black. 

 Skin between scales brown on neck and legs. 



Of this species, in Brazil, Goeldi, 1904, says "Testudo tahulata, o nosso 

 jaboty, e animal imponente, cuja casca dorsal por si s6 p6de attingir de 55 ate 

 70 cm. de comprimento." The largest at hand is that described above, 57.15 cm. 



Among the small specimens, from numerous localities between Dominica. 

 Trinidad, Surinam, and southern Brazil, there is the same dissimilarity in the 



