THE GIGANTIC LAND-TOETOISES OF MAUEITIUS. 
45 
(between the tympanic condyles) ; the largest skull of Testudo inepta measures 46 lines 
in length and 34 lines in width. 
Carapace. — Among the carapaces two very distinct forms may be recognized, which, 
however, have this in common — that the centre of the last vertebral scute is raised in a 
very convex hump, which is separated from the preceding vertebral by a deep transverse 
depression. The shell of both forms is thin and fragile (though less so than in the 
Rodriguez Tortoise) ; but towards the margins it is much thickened, especially in the 
second form, and four or five times as thick as on the convex portions. The skvills 
belonging to the carapaces not having been found, or having been mixed with others, it 
remains uncertain to which of the species distinguished from the skulls the carapaces 
should be referred. 
a. Carapaces possibly helonging to Testudo triserrata (Plate XX. fig. D). — The 
greater portion of the upper part of a carapace (32 in. long and about 20 in. broad) and 
the hinder third and the foremost part (including first vertebral and marginals) and five 
sterna, of adult males, are in Mr. Newton's collection. This carapace is more depressed 
than that of any other gigantic Tortoise. The upper profile is much undulated, the 
second, third, fourth, and fifth vertebrals being raised in the middle, and the humps 
separated by deep transverse impressions. The first vertebral is flat, its median profile 
gently sloping downwards towards the front margin. The decline of the upper profile 
from the hump of the last vertebral to the hind margin of the caudal is steep and 
straight. Also the costal plates participate in a slight degree in the peculiar formation 
of the vertebrals. 
Most of the marginal plates are lost: the first barely touches the antero-inferior 
angle of the first costal ; the last two are as high as broad ; and the caudal is much 
broader than high. 
The margins of the shell are not visibly indented; but indentation may have dis- 
appeared with the epidermoid scutes. 
None of the sterna collected by Mr. Newton can be fitted to the individual carapaces 
or fragments of carapaces. They are those of adult males, deeply concave, and callous 
on the sides. Two of the largest are 18 and IQ^ in. long, and respectively 14| and 
15 in. broad. The lobes (Plate XX. fig. E) are short, especially the posterior, which is 
about twice as broad as long and broadly truncated behind. The single gular plate is 
triangular, with rounded front margin and acute posterior angle, wedged in between 
the postgulars. Pectorals extremely narrow, almost linear. Abdominals very large^ 
their length being two fifths of that of the entire sternum. 
b. Carapaces possibly belonging to Testudo inepta. — A nearly entire specimen (Plate 
XX. figs. A-C), but without plastron, has been sent by M. Bouton ; it was discovered 
in 1865, in the "Mare aux Songes." A large fragment, representing the posterior 
third of the carapace, and perfectly agreeing with the other specimen, is in Mr. Newton's 
collection. This form of carapace is much higher and narrower than that of T. tri- 
