g^ CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



Testudo vicina Giinther 



Iguana Cove Tortoise 

 Plates 93 to 110. 



Testudo vicina GunThEr, Trans. Royal Soc. Lond., CLXV, 1875, p. 277, 

 pis. 35 fig. A, 40 fig. B, 41 figs. A, C, 45 figs. C-D ; Gunther, Gigantic Land 

 Tortoises Brit. Mus., 1877, p. 73, pis. XXXI, XLVII, fig. A, LIV, figs. 

 C-D; BouLENGER, Cat. Chelonians Brit. Mus., 1889, p. 170; Rothschild, 

 Novit. Zool., IX, 1902, p. 448; HellEr, Proc. Washington Acad. Sci., V, 

 1903, p. 54; Beck, Seventh Report N. Y. Zool. Soc. 1903, p. 7; SiEbenrock, 

 Zool. Jahrb., Suppl. X, 3, 1909, p. 534. 



Testudo elephantopus, Baur, Am. Nat., XXIII, 1889, p. 1044; Lucas, 

 Smith. Report, 1889 (1891), pp. 643-647, pi. CIV, figs. ; Gadow, Cam- 

 bridge Nat. Hist., VIII, 1901, p. 378. 



Testudo nigrita, Cope, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1889, p. 147; Lucas, 

 Smith. Report, 1889 (1891), pp. 643-647, pi. CIV, fig. . 



Type specimen. — British Museum. Carapace of adult male. 

 Straight length 33 inches. Origin unknown. 



Distribution. — This tortoise probably is distributed through- 

 out the whole southern end of Albemarle Island. At Iguana 

 Cove it appears to be the only kind, but near Vilamil one finds 

 both Testudo vicina and Testudo giintheri. 



Material. — This is one of the commoner species in collec- 

 tions. The Academy has six from Iguana Cove, ten from the 

 vicinity of the old Cobos settlement in southeastern Albemarle, 

 and forty-five from near Turtle Cove and Vilamil Mountain. 



Diagnosis. — No nuchal; gulars paired; fourth cervical ver- 

 tebra biconvex; front of carapace moderately high in males, 

 much lower than middle in females; height at nuchal notch 

 less than 45% (31 to 44%) of straight length; difference 

 between percentages of heights at third vertebral and at nuchal 

 notch more than 9 (10 to 23); carapace not saddle-shaped, 

 not narrow anteriorly, width at margin of junction of second 

 and third marginals not less than 44% (44 to 59%) ; first mar- 

 ginals not greatly enlarged, not everted, their ventral surfaces 

 not vertical, their most prominent points separated by less 

 than 25% (13 to 24%) ; length over curve not less than 115% 

 (115 to 134%); usually less than width over curve; vertical 

 distance from lower surface of plastron to lower edge of lateral 

 marginals great, 6 to 10% ; general size large, straight length 

 to 49.5 inches; plastron moderately long, median length 66 to 

 87%; plates generally striated; pectorals forming a suture on 

 median line; eighth marginal plate not reduced, with well de- 

 veloped superior border; lower jaw and throat not marked 

 with yellow. 



