CHELONIA. 749 



The second vertebral suture is shorter than the costal border, in some, longer than in 

 others. The second vertebral is sometimes sHghtly longer than broad, and in others as 

 broad, if not broader than long. Its distinguishing feature is its f orwardly arched an- 

 terior half, corresponding to the first vertebral and first costals, and its posteriorly con- 

 tracted half, corresponding to the second costals which project into the concave lateral 

 margin of this portion of the shield which has a straight posterior border. In the 

 centre line, near the hinder end, the plate is marked by a distinct somewhat back- 

 war dly projecting nodosity. The third vertebral is broader than long; its costal margin 

 is concave from behind forwards, and nearly equalling in breadth two-thirds of the 

 length of the plate. The plate is also marked near its hinder border by a low 

 spinous nodosity. The fourth vertebral is elongated, being considerably longer than 

 broad in some ; but the length of this plate is subject to variation. The middle of 

 the third costal margin is concave from without inwards, and its posterior half convex 

 from within outwards. The vertebral margin of the fourth costal is convex, straight, 

 or sinuous. The posterior border is concave, or straight, and about one-third less than 

 the breadth of the anterior border, while in others it equals it. The third has a 

 low spinous nodosity near its end. These nodosities all but disappear in the adult. 

 The fifth is triangular, the apex more or less rounded, and the base broad, articulating 

 with two marginals. It shows distinct indications in adolescents, and even in adults, 

 of a central ridge. The length of the gular is one-half that of the postgular suture, 

 which in its turn nearly equals the length of the pectoral, which is about the 

 same length as the abdominal suture. The preanal is a little longer than the post- 

 gular suture. The anal is a little more than two-thirds the length of the preanal 

 suture, and is equivalent to the united posterior breadth of the preanals. The gulars 

 are longer than in B. haska, equalling nearly half of the length of the postgular 

 suture, which is either as long as, or shorter than, the pectoral suture. The abdominal 

 suture equals or nearly so the united gular and postgular length ; the preanal is shorter 

 than, or little exceeds the length of, the pectorals. The anals are little longer than 

 their greatest breadth, and the anal notch is shallow and broad. The ridge on the 

 sides of the sternum disappears in adolescents. 



The head is light greenish-olive, darker above, yellowish above the tympanum 

 to the upper margin of the orbit, greenish-yellow from the nose to the angle of the 

 mouth, dark purple about the nostrils from which a faint dark-greenish broad band 

 passes to the eye, and increasing in breadth behind the orbit dips down to the 

 angle of the mouth and stretches through the tympanum, re^appearing behind it. 

 The occiput is occasionally dark olive-brownish or even blackish. The remainder 

 of the animal is yellowish-olive, more yellowish on the enlarged scales of the 

 limbs. 



The shell above is dark-brown, almost black in some, while in others it is almost 

 a pale olive-brown. The under surface is yellowish, the shields being more or less 

 obscurely radiated, in the dark individuals, with brown from the areolae. The post- 

 inguinal marginals have a greenish-yellow tinge, clouded with brownish. Not- 

 withstanding the general similarity, at first sight, of the shell of this tortoise to B. 



