HEBPETOLOGICAL NOTES.— LONGMAN . 
39 
HERPETOLOGICAL NOTES. 
Part I.— SYSTEMATIC. 
Including the Description of One New Species. 
By H. A. Longman. 
CARETTOCHELYS XNSCULPTA, Ramsay.* 
Whilst working through a number of duplicate Chelonian specimens, a 
dusty carapace and plastron were discovered in inner recesses of old shelves. On 
cleaning and examination these proved to be the rare Carettochelys insculpta, 
Ramsay, first described from the Fly River, British New Guinea. For the 
reception of this inonotypic tortoise, the family Carettochelyidae was established 
by Boulengcr.f 
Our carapace is 49.5 centimetres in length, and is thus somewhat larger 
than the type. With the exception of the position of neural plates it agrees 
well with Ramsay ’s description. In our specimen the first neural plate is separated 
from the second by a distance of 8 mm. Plates two, three, and four are joined, 
and the two former are apparently bisected by a transverse line, scarcely so deep 
as an ordinary suture, which gives them a divided appearance. Thus it would be 
almost correct to speak of eight neural plates and not six. Plate four just reaches 
number five by means of a lanceolate strip. A space of 8 mm. separates plates 
five and six. The plastron has been sawn away from the carapace and thus the 
sutures between them are somewhat disturbed, but although the right and left 
sides are not symmetrical there are no signs of intermarginals. 
As the Museum was indebted to Ilis Excellency the Governor of Queens- 
land, Sir William MacGregor, for a large proportion of specimens received from 
New Guinea, his attention was directed to this specimen. To our gratification 
Sir William at once remembered it, courteously giving the information that it 
had not been secured in the Fly River but in the Morehead River. Should 
complete specimens come to hand, it may be that the union of the neural plates is 
accompanied by other distinct features, and this large Chelonian from the 
Morehead may thus be entitled to specific rank. Reg. No. Q.M. J13/902. 
* Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. (2) i (1886), p. 158. 
t Boulenger, Ann. & Mag. N. H. (5) xix, 1887, p. 171. 
