
1891.] On the Relations of Carettochelys, Ramsay. 633 
of the Thecophora, with the name Carettochelyda. “ Riickens- 
child herzformig mit Randknochen.  Brustschildknochen zu 
einer Platte verwachsen. Schale ohne Hornplatten Floasenfiisse 
mit 2 Krallen. Phalangen der Zehen mit Condylen.” Strauch 
remarks: “Soweit sich nach der allerdings noch sehr unvoll- 
kommenen Beschreibung Ramsay’s urtheilen lasst, muss seine 
Carettochelys insculpta unbedingt zum Typus einer besonderen, 
den Trionychiden und den Meerschildkröten gleich werthigen 
Familie (nach Boulenger also Superfamilie) erhoben und im System 
zwischen diese beiden gestellt werden.” 
Shortly after I had read Dr. Strauch’s paper I received an 
answer from Prof. Ramsay, which I will give in full: “I received 
your note on Carettochelys in due time, but owing to the internal 
alterations going on in the museum the specimen could not be 
got at, and it is only now that I have been able to examine it. 
Alas! there were zə cervical vertebra: to examine; the animal had 
served the explorer for food, and the whole of the bones, except 
the skull, had been cut away. I had this photographed for you, 
and hope it will help to place the very interesting form in its 
proper place. I shall be glad to help you in any way; but there 
is nothing to work on, more than I have given in the Proc. Linn, 
Soc. N. S. W., Vol. I., 1886, p. 158, with plates.” 
This was bad news. Nothing left of the bones but the skull! 
But probably it was possible to determine the systematic position 
of the interesting animal from the photographs, which were on 
the way. A few days after the letter the photographs came: 1, 
two upper views of the entire animal; 2, one lower view; 3, the 
upper view, and 4th, the lower view of the posterior portion of 
the skull. To Prof. Ramsay I have to express my best thanks 
for his great kindness and liberality. 
The skull at once showed that this form was no Pleurodiran ; 
that its nearest.living relatives appeared to be the Trionychia, its 
very closest fossil relative the peculiar Pseudotrionyx Dollo, from 
the Eocene, which I always had suspected as such. 
The skull is only comparable with that of the Trionychia. As 
in this group, we have three greatly developed, crest-like posterior 
processes : the supraoccipital, and on each side the squamosal. The 
