98 
RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 
Ft. 
in. 
Height, lying down 
2 
H 
„ standing up 
3 
l 
Front leg, under knee ... 
1 
n 
,, round elbow 
2 
ij 
„ round foot ... 
1 
ii 
Hind leg, instep 
1 
H 
Head, round head 
1 
7 
Weight — 5 cwt. 2 qrs. 26 lbs. = 
642 lbs. 
These figures were, I find, published 
in 1884 by Dr. 
J. C. 
who, while stating that the reptile came from Rotumah, was unaware 
of its having been at Tonga prior to passing into the possession 
of Mr. MacDonald. From this account it appears that the Gala- 
pagos Group was then thought to be the original habitat of both 
the tortoises, for Dr. Cox writes : — “ I am not at all sure as to 
what species these two Tortoises belong, but they are supposed to 
come from Galapagos Archipelago.” 
The next measurements available, are a few made by Dr. 
Sinclair, in 1893, for comparison with the gigantic tortoise 
living at Port Louis, in Mauritius, of which an account appeared 
in the Illustrated London News : 
Port Louis. 
“ Rotumah. 
Ft. 
in. 
Ft. 
in. 
Foreleg... 
1 
7f ... 
1 
9 
Hind leg 
1 
0 
1 
5 
Circumference (girth) ... 
7 
0 
8 
4 
,, round shell at base 
— 
11 
6 
Neck and head... 
1 
3i ^ 
1 
5 
Head 
0 
7 
0 
7 
On 23rd April, 1896, I examined the 
tortoise, 
and took 
th 
following dimensions, which, for comparison with the foregoing, 
are reduced to English scale : — 
Carapace. 
mm. 
Ft. 
in. 
Length over curve 
. ... ... 
1420 
= 4 
8 
,, in straight line 
... ... 
1284 
= 4 
H 
Width over curve 
. ... . . 
1680 
= 5 
6 
,, in straight line 
Plastron. 
890 
= 2 
11 
Length ... 
. ... ... 
980 
= 3 
2£ 
Width 
. ... ... 
915 
= 3 
0 
Depth of concavity 
Caudal plate. 
130 
= 0 
H 
Length ... 
. ... ... 
133 
= 0 
Width 
Weight, 575 fts. 
250 
= 0 
9f 
* Cox — Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, viii , 1884, p. 531. 
f Illust. Lond. News , 3rd Dec., 1892, p. 715. 
