294 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 
Notes and Descriptions of Foreign Reptiles. 
BY E. D. COPE. 
TESTUDINATA. 
The following species of Tortoises were brought by Mr. P. B. Duchaillu from 
equatorial West Africa, the present Autumn. 
Kinixys erosa Gray. This curious species appears to be abundant through 
out Gaboon, and the country of the Camma and Ogobai. Its range northward 
extends as far as the Gambia. 
Sternotherus Derbianus Gray. Length, including head and neck, 14 
in. 8 lin.; length of plastron, 6 in. 6 lin.; greatest breadth of do., 5 in.; breadth 
of head just before the tympani, 2 in. 5 lin. 
Inhabits swamps in the Camma country. 
This is probably the above named species, but judging from figures and 
descriptions, it approaches closely the 8S. sinuatus Smith, of South Africa, 
differing mainly in the form of the upper mandible, which is obtusely hooked 
in the former, bidentate in the latter. The habits of the two appear to differ ; 
the S. African species inhabiting deep rivers, and remaining long at a time 
beneath the surface. It is considered by Dr. Gray (Catalogue Brit. Mus.) as 
identical with the S. castaneus Bell, but there is a manifest discrepancy 
between Smith’s description, and the brief one of castaneus in the “Cata- 
logue,”—principally with regard to the form of the vertebral scuta. The 
resemblance to the S. Derbianus is much closer, but judging as before, it 
is our impression that it is distinct from both. 
HEPTATHYRA nob. 
Cartilaginous border obsolete at the sides of the disc, and destitute of ossicles 
posteriorly. Sternum with two cartilaginous flaps, which cover the posterior 
extremities when retracted. Sternal callosities seven; one on each side cor- 
responding to the closely connected hyo- and byposternals, one to each of the 
[Noy. 
