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Show 1868.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON A NEW HYDRASPIS. 563 4. Notice of Hydraspis gordoni, a New Species from Trinidad, living in the Gardens of the Society. By Dr. J. E . G R A Y , F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., &c. (Plate XLII.) Some living Tortoises belonging to the Society's collection have been brought to the British Museum to be determined and named. Among them there is an Hydraspis, deposited in the Society's Gardens in July last by the Hon. Arthur Gordon, Governor of Trinidad, which I have not seen before, and which is not in the Museum collection, at least in the adult state. It is the first species of the genus that has been brought from the West-India islands; all the others are from the American continent. It is very distinct from all that I have seen in the adult condition, but it may be only an adult specimen of a species that has been described from a very young animal; for, unfortunately, as I observed in m y paper on the family in 1864, the species have been described from adult specimens and from very young ones, and it is impossible to determine whether some of these presumed species may not be young states of some that have been described under different names, and vice versa. It is so uncommon to obtain a specimen alive and in an adult state, that I think it had better be described and figured, even with the disadvantage that one may be adding another synonym to the list. HYDRASPIS GORDONI. (Plate XLII.) Head rather large, crown flattish, with numerous small, flat, polygonal plates, those on the middle of the crown more or less united together, or only separated from one another by short lines of dots, with an arched sunken line over each eye. The shields on the hinder part of the head longer and more separate. The temple covered with distinct convex plates, separated from each other by well-marked grooves, those over the tympanum small, less distinct, and forming an arched series. Chin and throat covered with small acute plates; chin two-bearded. The sheath of the lower jaw whitish. The shell depressed, dark brown, shelving to the front edge, and slightly bent up on the side edge. The nuchal shield narrow, elongate. The first vertebral shield the largest, nearly square, four-sided, but rather narrower behind; second and third similar, small, with a small process on the middle of each side ; the front narrower, elono-ate, nearly twice as long as wide. Sternum and lower side of the margin white. Intergular shield broad, rather longer than wide ; the anal notch large, semicircular. The animal blackish; chin, throat, and underside of limbs near axilla and groin whitish. Hub. Trinidad, near the mountain of Tamana (Hon. Arthur Gordon). The Tortoise is like Elseya latisternum in general appearance ; but that animal has no nuchal shield, the anal end of the sternum is |