36 CISTUDABLANDINGII. 



parallelogram, being only slightly notched on its posterior margin to receive the 

 point of the first vertebral plate; the first marginal plate is regularly quadrilateral, 

 the second pentagonal, the third and fourth quadrilateral, the fifth pentagonal, the 

 sixth quadrilateral, the seventh pentagonal, the eighth quadrilateral, the ninth 

 pentagonal, the tenth quadrilateral, the eleventh pentagonal, and the twelfth 

 quadrilateral; these forms are constant. All the plates are smooth in the centre, 

 and but indistinctly marked with concentric striae near their borders. 



The sternum is oblong, full, and rounded in front, deeply emarginate behind, 

 and composed of two valves, of which the posterior is rather the larger. These 

 valves are united to each other and to the sternum by ligamento-elastic tissue, 

 so that both sections are moveable on the same axis. The gular plates are 

 very regularly triangular, with their apices backwards; the brachial are elongated, 

 quadrilateral, rounded and broader externally, straight and narrower within. The 

 thoracic and abdominal plates are regularly quadrilateral, and nearly of the same 

 size. The femoral are similar in form to the brachial plates, and the subcaudal 

 are rhomboidal. All these plates are marked with concentric striae. 



The anterior extremities are strong, rounded, and covered with imbricated 

 scales in front, and with smaller scales and granulations behind; the fingers are 

 five, palmated, and furnished each with a short curved nail. The posterior 

 extremities are round above, flattened at the leg and tarsus, and covered in front 

 and behind with small scales and granulations; the toes are five in number, 

 palmated, the four internal are furnished with short curved nails. The tail is 

 long, thick at the root, but soon becomes cylindrical and small. 



Colour. The head above and at the sides is black, marked with oblong yellow 

 spots. The upper jaw is dark, with transverse waving lines of dirty yellow, and 

 the whole lower jaw yellow. The neck above is granulated and dusky; the chin 

 bright yellow; the throat yellow, but more clouded, especially towards the sternum. 



The entire ground of the shell is jet black, marked with numerous yellow spots. 



