TESTUDO MICEOPHTES. 
79 
becomes horny, and is raised in a line (stria) running along each side of the suture. At 
a later period this increment takes place only (or, at least, only conspicuously) in certain 
portions of the carapace. Thus, in those species in which the male is distinguished from 
the female by a saddle-like compression of the front portion, the sutures between the 
first two costals and the corresponding marginals and pectoral widen, the change in the 
form of the carapace being almost entirely confined to this portion. It is impossible to 
say at what period growth ceases in these animals ; probably it greatly varies in different 
individuals. The gigantic specimen of Testudo elephantina, which I observed in a 
living state, and which was certainly 100 years old, if not more, was still growing at the 
time of its death ; but the outward signs of the increment of the shell were confined to 
the upper and lower margins of the lateral marginal scutes ; and the animal may have 
gained thereby an increase of one inch in the circumference of its carapace within the 
period of a year. 
Description of the Male. — In one of the largest male specimens (A, 33^ inches) 
(Plates XXXIV. & XXXV. fig. A) the shell is moderately depressed, with the upper 
surface flattened, the upper profile from the centre of the fourth vertebral scute being 
nearly straight. However, the central line of the first vertebral, which is raised into a 
slight ridge, gently slopes downwards towards the front. Each side of the fore part of the 
carapace is deeply concave ; but the margins are but slightly reverted and scarcely scal- 
loped. The part of the shell above the hind legs is bulged outwards, especially towards 
the margin, all this reminding us of that peculiar form of shell which we find fully 
developed in the Charles and Abingdon, and in one of the Aldabra Tortoises. The 
declivity of the last vertebral and caudal is very steep ; and the latter scate is slightly 
bent inwards. The entire surface of the carapace is irregularly pitted from the un- 
equal development of the osseous substance ; and nearly every trace of striation has dis- 
appeared. The two front marginal scutes join each other by a very short suture. The 
colour is a dark horn-colour, almost black. 
The head, of which I give a full-size figure, in comparison with that of T. elephan- 
tina (Plates XXXII. & XXXIIL), is comparatively much larger than in the latter 
species, and can be held nearly at a right angle to the perpendicular neck ; the animal 
is able to turn it aside sufficiently to look at objects behind it. The neck is often held 
erect, raised high above the carapace, but seems to be not quite so long as in the Abing- 
don Tortoise. 
In the second large male specimen (B, 33^ in. long), the shell is somewhat less de- 
pressed, the areolar centres of the three middle vertebrals being distinctly raised; and 
the upper profile slopes downwards from the centre of the second vertebral towards the 
front. The sides of the fore part of the carapace are less concave ; a deep indentation 
between the first and second marginals. The posterior declivity of the shell is very 
steep from the very projecting areolar centre of the penultimate vertebral. The surface 
of this carapace is very smooth, with only a few shallow pits. Sternum deeply concave, 
