284 THE GALAPAGOS TORTOISES. 
determine the habitat. There is nothing in its structure that would preclude 
an eventual determination of an origin, either indirect or direct, among the 
Galapagos. It has close affinities to their species though in some respects its 
peculiarities do not permit identification with any of which descriptions or 
figures have been published. Its outlines are suggestive of the wider and shorter 
individuals of 7’. elephantina Duméril et Bibron. It has two gulars but no 
nuchal plate. 
Direct Direct Curved Curved Circum- 
length width length width Height ference 
25% in. 20 in. 304 in. 322 in. 12+ in. 514 in. 
Height to nuchal notch 10, to middle of back 121, and to lower edge of caudal 
scale 14 inches. The bones are thin and light, the entire weight, with attached 
scales, being less than five pounds. All sutures are complete and firmly joined 
excepting those at the inner edge of the marginals from the first vertebral to 
the edges of the supracaudal. The bones of the back at the lower edges of the 
costals are separated from those under the marginals by a space and their only 
connections are made by the ribs, except at the nuchals and at the supracaudals 
where they are rigidly united by broad anchyloses. The conditions along 
the flanks are like those existing on the very young of other species. The scutes 
are thin and fragile, the areolar spaces are small; the concentric striae are 
numerous, narrow, and sharp. The carapace is short and broad and is broadly 
arched on the back. In front from the middle of the second vertebral, through 
the first, the descent is about as in 7’. vicina Giinther. Fourth vertebral nar- 
row behind, hind edge about 32 times in front edge. Seen from above the 
shape approaches the subquadrangular, owing to a considerable spread and 
recurvature of the humeral and the femoral marginals. The anterior marginals 
extend forward and upward, and the posterior extend farther back than the 
caudal, which is narrow, convex, and curves down and forward at the lower 
edge. The humeral indentation, on the third marginal, is shallow but the 
groove from it to the middle of the first vertebral is decided, because of the 
recurvation of the marginals behind it similar to 7’. elephantopus. The verte- 
bral shields are broader than the costals; each has a high convex boss on the 
middle, that on the fifth vertebral being especially prominent. Including 
the areolar space on each costal there is a similar boss. On the plastron the 
gulars are broad and subtruncate in front, swollen and rounded above the edge 
and rounded on the angles. The pectorals are short, broad and in contact. 
