50 EMYS SERRATA. 



wrinkles. Of the lateral plates, the anterior is irregularly trigonal, with its basis 

 rounded and joined to iive marginal; the second and third are irregularly 

 pentagonal, larger and broader below; the fourth is regularly quadrilateral. Of 

 the twenty-five marginal plates, the intermediate, or nuchal, is very narrow, 

 almost sub-cylindrical acuminate, and projecting; the first and second are 

 pentagonal, with the two shortest sides directed backwards; they are notched in 

 front, the first deeply, the second less so, and both project beyond the other 

 marginal plates, the external point extends farthest. All the remaining plates 

 are quadrilateral; and the five posterior are so deeply notched, as to give that 

 sharply serrated appearance to the posterior margin of the shell that character- 

 izes this species of Emys. 



The sternum is oblong, full in front, but emarginate behind, and covered with 

 twelve plates. The gular plates are triangular, their bases forwards, and their 

 apices backwards; on the outer angle, each has a knob or process looking 

 forwards and upwards; between these points the plates are concave, which 

 leaves space for the neck; the brachial plates are triangular, with their apices 

 truncated and directed inwards; the thoracic are irregularly quadrilateral; the 

 abdominal are pentagonal; the femoral are quadrilateral, broadest and rounded 

 at their external margins, which project considerably beyond the sub-caudal, 

 narrow and straight at their internal; the sub-caudal are trapezoid in form. 



The head is of moderate size; the snout short, but rather pointed; the nostrils 

 are anterior and near together; the upper jaw almost entire, very slightly 

 emarginate in front. The eyes are large, the pupil black, the iris golden, with a 

 broad black stripe extending horizontally through it. The anterior extremities 

 are of moderate extent, covered with transverse rows of large scales in front, and 

 a few large scales and granulations behind. The fingers are five in number, each 

 furnished with a short, strong, slightly curved nail. The posterior extremities 

 are flattened and scaly above, and scaly and granulated below; the tarsus is 

 broad, and sustains five toes fully palmated, four only having nails. The tail is 

 short, thick at the root, and small, narrow, and conical at the top. 



