MARGINATED TORTOISE. 19 



deep ; in consequence of which, the animal, when 

 placed on its back, can regain its former situa- 

 tion. The Count has not particularized its native 

 country, but considers it as a general inhabitant of 

 Greece, Africa, India, the islands of Amboina, 

 Ceylon, and Japan ; and even of America ; thus 

 confounding, according to Mr. Schoepf, several 

 different species from all quarters of the globe 

 under one general name 



The general colour of this animal is a dark or 

 blackish bay ; the middle or convex part of the 

 pieces composing the disk, being more or less 

 dashed or varied, in an irregular manner, with 

 yellow: the marginal pieces are also variegated 

 with the same colour, which predominates chiefly 

 on the hindermost or widest divisions, which are 

 pretty distinctly striated or furrowed, and from 

 their peculiar width or dilatation f form the chief 

 part of the specific character. The under shell is 

 of a pale yellow colour, each division being mark- 

 ed on its upper commissure by a transverse black- 

 ish band, running into a pair of pointed or subtri- 

 angular processes, extending nearly to the next or 

 inferior division. The outline of the shell, if 

 viewed from above, will be found to be much 

 longer in proportion than that of the Testudo 



* " Generos. de la Cepede, sub T. Graecas nomine, plures et 

 diversissimas terrestres testudines, ex omnibus fere mundi plagisy 

 in unam confudit speciem/' — Schoepf. p, 47. 



f The shell of the T. Graeca is also somewhat dilated on each 

 side at the hind part, especially in the older specimens ; but not 

 in so great a degree as in the present species. 



