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unknown species — of the eight specimens from Maestricht, which are 
all unknown, three are ascertained to belong to as many distinct and 
new species — and the one found in the quarry of Grand Charonne, 
near Paris, also is of an unknown species. Hence it appears, that of 
fourteen fossil tortoises, one only appears to be of a known species, 
and that of the remaining thirteen, none can be referred to any 
known species, but five of them are decidedly of new species. 
In this island the fossil remains of this genus are but rarely met with. 
In the Isle of Shepey some fragments, and a few very good specimens, 
have been found. Two or three fossil tortoises from this part, in very 
fine preservation, are in the British Museum; and Colonel Hawker, 
of the 14th Light Dragoons, also possesses a very perfect specimen, 
which he very kindly offered for my inspection and information. 
Mr. Francis Crow, of Faversham, possesses perhaps the most complete 
fossil animal of this genus, which has been yet discovered in Shepey. 
The specimens which I possess from Shepey do not empower me to 
decide as to their species. They are of four different sizes, and appear to 
me to be of the same species, but of different ages. In no one of them 
is the dorsal plate perfect, surrounded by its marginal scutellae. Thus, 
in a very fine specimen, with which I was favoured by Mr. Crow, a 
series of eight small and narrow hexagonal scutellae, corresponding 
with the vertebrae, are disposed along the middle of the back ; and 
from these proceed, on each side, as many transversely long scutellae, 
which appear to have been of a hexagonal form ; but this cannot be 
determined, since their outer sides, and of course the margin ot the 
shell, has been removed. From this circumstance, I am led to the sup- 
position, that these are the remains of animals whose coverings were 
partly soft, and that consequently the marginal plates, if any existed, 
were removed as the intervening membrane was destroyed. In this 
opinion I am confirmed by the appearance of the breastplate in one 
of the specimens, as represented Plate XVIII. Fig. 2 ; where it may 
be seen, that the sternal plate, with which, in this respect, the dorsal 
