22 
THE EACES OF ALDABEA. 
The amount of variation in the form of the carapace is considerable, much greater 
than in any of the other Gigantic Land-Tortoises ; and the differences between these 
variations are quite equal, and in some measure analogous, to those observed between 
some of the Galapagos Tortoises for which I have adopted distinct specific denomina- 
tions. But, whilst in the latter such external modifications are combined with marked 
features of the skull and other parts of the skeleton, the skulls of the varieties of T. 
elepliantina surprisingly agree in the details of form with one another. 
It is this species to which J. E. Gray and others applied the name of Testudo indica par 
excellence ; finding that the varieties of external form closely resemble, and almost 
repeat, those from the Galapagos, they included in it, more or less, all the other 
Gigantic Land-Tortoises. That name must be restricted to the species described by 
Perrault (Mem. pour servir a Thist. nat. des anim. 1676, p. 193, c. tab.). 
Characteristic of this species is the concentric striation of the scutes, which, most dis- 
tinct in young specimens, never disappears entirely, not even in the largest and oldest 
examples ; then the declivity of the first vertebral scute ; the moderate reversion of the 
margins of the carapace; the undivided caudal scute*; the broad skull, with the pos- 
terior margin of the paroccipital not excised. 
The specimens available for examination may be grouped as follows : — ■ 
past centuries, it is confidently hoped that the present Government and people, who support the ' Natural-His- 
tory Society of Mauritius,' will find a means of saving the last examples of a contemporary of the Dodo and 
Solitaire. 
(Signed) " Joseph D. Hooker. 
" H. B. E. Feeee. 
" EicH. Owen. 
" Charles Darwin. 
" Alfred Newton. 
" John Kiek. 
" Albert Gunther." 
" London, April 1874." 
This memorial received the full attention of Sir A. Gordon, who, in his reply, promised that the lessee should 
be hound to protect the animals, and to remit annually to Mauritius a pair of living ones, which, with others 
acquired by purchase, would be preserved in a paddock of the Botanic Gardens at Pamplemousses. On Sir A. 
Gordon leaving Mauritius soon afterwards, M. Bouton, the Secretary of the Royal Society of Mauritius, sub- 
mitted the matter to his successor, Sir A. P. Phayre, who replied as follows : — 
" My bear M. BorTON, — I return you the papers received from you regarding the gigantic Land-Tortoises. 
I have made arrangements with the Chief Civil Commissioner in order to have those on Aldabra preserved. 
" Believe me, 
" Yours sincerely, 
(Signed) " A. P. Phatre." 
* But for this character 1 should regard Testudo gigantea of Schweigger and Dumeril and Bihron as identical 
with T. elephantina. Possibly the division of this scute is only au individual peculiarity of the specimen on 
which this species was founded. 
