56 



LETTERED TORTOISE. 



very conspicuous white lines or carinee ; so that the 

 title of tricarimta would apply to this, as well as to 

 the species so denominated by Mr. Schoepf. 



LETTERED TORTOISE. 



Testudo Scripta. T. testa orbiculari depressa, scutellis omnibus 



superne characteribus notatis ; marginis viginti qmtmr infemc 



guttatis. Schoepf. Hist, Test, \6. t. 3./. 2. 

 Tortoise with orbicular depressed shell, with all the scutella 



marked by variously-formed characters, and the marginal 



pieces spotted beneath. 

 Testudo scabra. Thunberg, 



This also is a species sometimes quoted for the 

 T, scabra of Linnseus, and proposed as such by Mr. 

 Thunberg. It is very small, flattish, of an orbi- 

 cular form, and of a whitish colour, tinged with 

 yellow, and marked over the whole upper surface 

 with variously-formed black, narrow lines and un- 

 dulations : the number of scutella is thirteen, a 

 keel running down the middle range : the margin 

 appears, from Mr. Schoepf 's figure borrowed from 

 Thunberg, to consist of twenty-five pieces, all of 

 which are marked in the same manner as the disk : 

 the head is large and whitish, striped about the 

 neck with longitudinal black streaks ; the snout 

 slightly sharpened ; the feet large, webbed, and 

 pentadactylous, with sharp claws : the tail about 

 a fourth part of the length of the shell, and sharp- 

 pointed : the under surface is white, with the mar- 

 ginal pieces pale yellow, and a brown spot on 

 each. It evidently appears to be a very >^ung 



