Zoology.] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Reptilia. 



Plates 92 and 93. 



CHELODINA LONGICOLLIS (Shaw bp.). 



Long-necked River Tortoise. 



[Genus CHELODINA (Gray). (Sub-kingdom Vertebrata. Class Reptilia. Section 

 Cataphracta. Order Chelonia. Sub-order Pleuroderes. Eamily Chelydidse. Sub-family 

 Hydraspidinae.) 



Gen. Char. — Head long, flat ; covered with thin skin ; muzzle short ; mouth wide ; jaws 

 narrow, weak, without notches ; no barbels under chin. Neck very long. Plastron wide, 

 rounded in front, solidly fixed to the carapace ; sternal wings very short ; 25 marginal plates 

 to the carapace, and 13 to the plastron ; a nuchal plate ; intergular plate larger than the gulars. 

 Pour toes of the five claws on each foot. Tail very short. Australia.] 



Description. — Form: Carapace oblong", ovate, slightly narrowed in front, 

 obtusely angulate behind; a variable convexity with a deep wide channel along- the 

 2nd, 3rd, and 4th vertebral plates, more marked in old specimens; nuchal plate 

 between the margino-collar (12) ; the plates of the margin are less than half the 

 width at the sides, as over the neck, limbs, and tail, and are abruptly reflected or 

 curled upwards, so that the outer edge is nearly in contact with the inner margin ; 

 moderately arched over the thighs, and angularly elevated at inner margin of 

 caudals; profile of back gently arched, deepest behind the middle, falling suddenly 

 to the posterior end, more gradually towards the front. Plates:* Nuchal plate (10) 

 large, quadrilateral, varying from one-third longer than wide to twice as long as 

 wide, between the margino-collars (12), which are trapezoidal; margino-brachials 

 quadrangular, a little longer than wide, the first pair (13) with the anterior margin 

 wider than the posterior; second pair (14) with anterior margin wider than posterior; 

 first margino-laterals (15) smaller than the posterior margino-brachial ; second 

 margino-lateral (16) rectangular; 3rd (17) and 4th (18) rhomboidal; 5th (19) 

 oblong-, wider behind than before; margino-femorals (20, 21, 22) quadrate; supra- 

 caudals (11) trapezoidal. First vertebral plate (1) octagonal, larger than the others, 

 touching the nuchal, the margino-collar, and the first margino-brachial, posterior 

 side concave ; 2nd (2) and 3rd (3) hexagonal ; 4th (4) hexagonal, anterior side 

 wider than the posterior. The 5th vertebral plate (5) is an isoceles triangle with 

 truncated apex, with five angles at base behind; the last costal plates (9) have 

 nearly the same shape as the 5th vertebral, but are larger. All the plates of cara- 

 pace with a few concentric lines at margin, and obtuse, irregular, nodular ridges 

 and tubercles longitudinal on the vertebral plates, and transverse on the costal 

 plates ; plates of plastron nearly smooth, finely netted in the middle. Plastron very 

 wide, the width varying from wider in front than behind to narrower in front than 

 behind, some equal ; rounded in front, and with a V-shaped notch behind, the angles 

 of which are obtusely rounded ; the sternal wings are about one-fourth as wide as 

 the plastron, and about one-third its length, bent up strongly towards the carapace ; 

 intergular plate (la) very large, hexagonal, the two posterior sides longest and 

 forming an acute angle posteriorly, surrounded by the three first pairs of sternal 

 plates (1, 2, 3); gular plates (1) four-sided, wider than long, inner side shorter 

 than outer margin ; humerals (2) trapezoidal, larger than the gulars, but half the 

 size of the pectorals (3); pectorals pentagonal, two right angles behind, one in 



* The numbers designating the individual plates will be found on a diagram in our plate of Chelemys 

 Macquaria, Plate 83. 



Bee. x. [ 9 ] B 



