26 



INDIAN TORTOISE. 



Systema Natur'cC, was first described by Perrault 

 in the History of Animals published by the Royal 

 Academy of France. The specimen was taken on 

 the coast of Coromandel, and measured four feet 

 and a half from the tip of the nose to the tail ; 

 and its height or convexity was fourteen inches : 

 the shell itself was three feet long and two broad, 

 and, like every other part of the animal, was of a 

 dull brown colour : the shield consisted of large 

 and dissimilar pieces, and the edge on the fore- 

 part was rather reflected, for the easier motion of 

 the animal's head : the three anterior portions 

 of the shield had each a round knob or tubercle 

 on the middle, which seems the most remarkable 

 character of the species ; each tubercle was about 

 half an inch wide, and from three to four lines 

 high : the head, feet, and neck, were covered with 

 a wrinkled and granulated skin; the head was 

 seven inches long; the mandibles serrated, and 

 furnished with an additional internal row of 

 denticulations : the fore legs were nine inches 

 long : the fore feet undivided, thick, and armed 

 with five blunt claws : the hind legs were eleven 

 inches long ; the feet tetradactylous and armed 

 with four claws : the tail six inches thick at the 

 base, fourteen inches long, and terminated by a 

 horny curved process. The figure given in the 

 Memoirs of the Academy seems rather negligently 

 executed. Mr. Cepede appears to confound this 

 yery large species with the T. Graeca. 



