EMYS SPINOSA. 
Testee osse ce mensura. 
unc. lin. 
Longitudo dorsi.4 2 
Latitudo ejusdem.4 0 
Longitudo sterni .3 g 
Altitudo. 1 g 
I owe to Mr. Leadbeater the knowledge of this beautiful and interesting 
species. The figure was taken from a dried specimen in his possession, which, 
with his accustomed liberality, he allowed me to describe and to have copied. 
Since that, Mr. Gray has kindly presented me with a specimen of the shell, 
which has been figured in his Illustrations of Indian Zoology. Both these are 
evidently very young. The size of the areolae, and the small extent of ossifi¬ 
cation which has taken place in the shell, prove that it must, in its adult state, 
be of considerable size ; probably not less than eight or ten inches in length. 
The description which I have given must therefore be considered as provisional, 
as it is impossible to say what changes may take place during the growth of 
the animal. 
There is a very remarkable similarity between this species and that which 
I have named Emys orbicularis, to the young of which Mr. Gray has, in his 
Synopsis, applied the specific term “ Dhor Looking at the adult state of the 
latter species, it would appear almost certain that it must be the same as the 
present, as the differences are similar in general character to those which are 
produced by age in other species; but the possession of E. orbicularis in three 
different stages of growth, from three inches to more than eight in length, 
enables me to decide that they are essentially and strikingly distinct. In the 
latter species there is not, even at the youngest period, the least appearance of 
hooked spines on the costal areolge, nor are there any denticulations on the 
lateral and anterior margin. The colour also is very different, although there 
are similar radiations on the sternum. 
