TESTUDO ELEPHANTOPUS, 
65 
raised occipital crest ; it is 4f inches long, measured from the front margin of the 
intermaxillary to the occipital condyle, and 4 inches broad in its widest part, between 
the zygomatic arches. 1. The frontal region is perfectly flat, broad, passing into the 
very short snout, its greatest width (in front of the postfrontals) being as much as one 
half of the distance between the tympanic condyles. 2. The occipital crest is enor- 
mously developed ; it rises abruptly above the level of the skull, is strongly compressed 
and scarcely attenuated behind, its extremity being broad and rounded. 3. The tym- 
panic case, with the mastoid, is produced backwards, the hind margin of the par- 
occipital forming a rather strong curve (fig. A, a). 4. A deep hollow on the lower 
surface of the occipital in front of the condyle (Plate XLIV. fig. A, b). 5. On the 
front margin of the temporal fossa, corresponding to the suture between parietal and 
tympanic, and immediately in front of the foramen ca?vtidis externce, there is a large, 
prominent, concave rough tuberosity for the insertion of a portion of the temporal 
muscle (Plate XLII. fig. A, c) ; a broad and deep groove {d) separates this tuberosity 
from the zygomatic arch, 6. Tympanic cavity large, but constricted by the groove just 
described ; the outer tympanic rim is subcircular, with a broad and deep notch {e) in 
the posterior part of its circumference for the passage of the Eustachian tube. 7. The 
columella is attached to, and rests upon, a long, straight, sharp ridge, which runs from 
the notch mentioned to the stapedial foramen. 8, The front margin of the inter- 
maxillary projects beyond that of the frontal, but much less than in T. elephantina ; so 
that the nasal opening, although still obliquely sloping downwards, is as high as broad. 
9. The position of the choanse is advanced forwards ; yet, on the palatal view of the 
skull, a portion of them may be seen uncovered by the alveolar lamellse of the maxil- 
laries (Plate XXXIX. fig. A). 10. The intermaxillaries are short, one half of the 
length of the maxillaries ; their foremost portion is deeply hollowed out below, and 
vertically bent downwards to form the truncated beak. The suture between the inter- 
maxillary and vomer is immediately behind the inner angle of the alveolar edges of the 
maxillaries. 11. The palatal region is much less concave than in the Aldabra Tortoise, 
and divided along its middle by a high longitudinal crest. The triangular space of 
which the foramina palatina and the anterior extremity of the vomer form the points is 
nearly isosceles in shape, in accordance with the generally short longitudinal axis of 
the skull. Outer pterygoid edge (/) rather elevated and sharp. 12. Anterior surface 
of the tympanic pedicle deeply excavated. 
13. Lower jaw with a double alveolar ridge ; its symphysial portion simply vertical, 
without a backward expansion of the lower margin of the bone. The parts of the 
angular and coronoid which face each other are closely approximate, leaving only a 
narrow cleft between them. Upper margin of the angular deeply excised. 
The cervical portion of the vertebral column is characterized by its relatively great 
length. All observers were struck by the length of the neck, which the animal is in 
the habit of erecting so that the head is raised above the level of the shell. The living 
animal can turn its head in this position to the right or left, reminding one of a Cobra 
K 
