384 FAUNA ANTIQUA SIVALENSIS. 



less, and to be squarer, than generally liolds in tlie recent 

 forms ; but j)robably it does not diifer in a greater degree than 

 the extremes of these do from each other. The second and 

 third vertebral scutes are hexagonal, both in the recent Emys 

 tecta and in the fossil. Both agree alike in the relative pro- 

 portion of the ridge borne by each of these scutes, which is 

 most protuberant in the third or central one of the series. The 

 outline of the fourth scute is not distinguishable in the fossil, 

 and the fifth one is wanting ; but it is obvious that these 

 two scutes were more elongated than the anterior ones, a 

 point which constitutes one of the distinctive characters of 

 the recent species, in which the two last vertebral scutes 

 are as long as the three first. In this there is another close 

 agreement between the fossil and the existing form. 



The outline of the costal scutes is obscured in the fossil, 

 and not satisfactorily distinguishable from the sutures, so that 

 a minute comparison with the corresponding parts of the 

 recent form is not in this instance practicable. 



The margino -collar scutes vary a good deal between 

 triangular and pentagonal in the existing Emys tecta, the 

 latter form prevailing in those which have the broadest 

 nuchal scute. The fossil has the margino-collar pentagonal, 

 and with the same arrangement of the sides as in a recent 

 form. A like correspondence runs through the margino- 

 humeral and margino-lateral scutes, which are oblong, rec- 

 tangular, or square both in the Emys tecta and in the 

 fossil. The agreement is close, down to minute particulars 

 in the size of the angle of junction between the first margino- 

 lateral scute and the hiimeral scute of the plastron. The 

 same holds with the form and. extent of the axillary and 

 inguinal scutes, which differ greatly in nearly allied species. 

 The minute axillary foramen has exactly the same position, 

 relatively to the second margino-humeral and axillary scutes, 

 in the fossil as in the recent specimen. 



The crushing force to which the fossil has been subjected 

 has caused a longitudinal fracture and ' fault ' along the left 

 side of the plastron, and a depression along its median line. 

 Its anterior and posterior extremities are wanting. There 

 is no direct evidence, therefore, in regard to the proportion 

 of leng-th to breadth, but the impressions of the sternal scutes 

 are fortunately well preserved, so as to admit of miniite 

 comparison Avith those of the Emys tecta. The plastron in 

 the latter has a strongly marked keel on either side, along 

 the line of margin, and the alse are given off at a considerable 

 angle upwards, to unite with the sterno-costal pieces, so that 

 the rim of the carapace is raised high above the level of the 

 sternum. In both particulars, and in the relatively less 



