364 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th See. 



General remarks. — This tortoise is most closely related to 

 T. porteri of Indefatigable Island and T. vicina of the south- 

 ern part of Albemarle Island. It is more nearly circular in 

 outline than any other tortoise. Its high dome-shaped back 

 makes it resemble T. porteri very closely, but it is more like 

 the dome-shaped females of T. vicina in its curved length, and 

 in its width at second and third marginal suture. The differ- 

 ence between the front and middle heights is greater than in 

 any specimen of T. vicina. The width at suture between sec- 

 ond and third marginals is less than in most of my specimens 

 of T. porteri; as is also the curved length. The female taken 

 had well developed ovaries containing large yolks. With only 

 a single female specimen of this tortoise for comparison, it is 

 quite impossible to be certain as to whether it really represents 

 a distinct race. It, therefore, seems best to leave it without a 

 specific name until male specimens have been secured. 



Field Notes. — Aug. 9, 1906. — Sailed from James Bay for 

 Cowley Mountain, Albemarle, and anchored off the moun- 

 tain at about six in the evening. 



Aug. 10-11, 1906. — Went in after tortoises. Cowley 

 Mountain on this eastern side is a vast stretch of pumice 

 stone with practically no vegetation for some miles inland. 

 It rises with a gradual slope for about five miles, then gets 

 quite steep at the elevation of about two thousand feet, where 

 the vegetation becomes thick — small trees covered with moss, 

 and tall dry grass tramped down in most places by the mules, 

 being met with. At about 2200-2500 feet, a level area about a 

 mile and a half in width surrounds the rim of the volcano. The 

 mules do not get into this area because of a tall grass, growing 

 higher than one's head, which it is almost impossible to push 

 through. We had a good look at the rim of the crater but could 

 not get through to it, so, turning back, we camped for the night 

 near the edge of this belt. We searched for tortoises next morn- 

 ing in the dry grass below, and found signs about a month old, 

 but did not see any tortoises. The trails ran into the mule 

 trails, which made it impossible to track them. Beck came 

 down the mountain where we were looking, and ran across a 

 tortoise a little farther up the hill. He had been over to the 

 southward, and found it a little better going, so that he got 

 closer to the crater. He found the camp where the natives 



