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The young only of this species are three-keeled, hence the 

 character cannot be used as generic. Bellia is nearly allied to 

 Damonia but the position of the inner nostrils is very different. 



Damonia, Gray. 



Shell solid arched ; nodosely three-keeled in the young. Feet 

 •webbed; claws five anteriorly, four posteriorly. Inner nostrils 

 "subcentral with a short oblong sunken space behind each." 

 Zygomatic arch strong. 



D. Hamiltonii, Gray. 



E. Piquotii Less, in Belanger Voy. aux. Ind. Orien. 



Shell oblong ovate, rounded with three longitudinal ridges, each 

 plate of the vertebral and costal series being nodosely elevated 

 in the young. Nuchal plate sub-triangular. Eleven marginal 

 plates on each side. Ground colour brownish black, each vertebral 

 and costal plate with a yellow spot in the middle of its areola ; 

 Three or four other spots on the margin radiately disposed, 

 marginal and sternal plates similarly spotted. Head, neck, and 

 limbs with yellow spots and dots. A pair of spots in front of 

 the eye is very constant. Grows to 6 or 7 inches. The humped 

 character of the young disappears more or or less completely in 

 aged animals. 



Inhabits Lower Bengal. 



This is our handsomest emydine in India, and may be readily 

 recognised by its yellow dotted colouration. Giinther describes 

 the head as covered with a " soft skin'' whilst Gray makes a " hard 

 thin skin" on the head, a generic character of Damonia — non 

 nostrum, tantas componere lites ; but I have never remarked that 

 amount of hardness or softness of the skin of the head of any 

 of our emydines as would suggest its being usefully enlisted as a 

 generic character. 



Melanochelys, Gray. 

 Zygomatic arch complete, but weak (not as described by Gray 

 " imperfect"). Shell oblong, three keeled. Jaws simple, not 

 dentate. 



