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Show 1869.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE TORTOISES. 169 the side of the hinder part of the palate within the temporal muscles. They all three vary in the form of the ethmoid bone : in one it is nearly square, with evenly truncated front edge; in the other two it is more elongated, and the middle of the front edge is more or less projecting in front. Of the skeleton of a young specimen in the British Museum the skull is well formed; it has the symphysis between the two bones very narrow; the beak has the three anterior notches, and the alveolar ridges or grooves, as in the adult. A half-grown specimen from Xeberos, obtained from Mr. Hig-gins, in spirit, has the head black, the crown and cheeks yellow-varied, the two oblong longitudinal shields on the nose and the small shield edging the upper part of the orbit pure white; a small spot on each temple and a large shield between the orbit and the upper edge of the tympanic cavity yellow. 4. TESTUDO RADIATA. Testudo radiata, Cuv. Oss. Foss. v. 193, t. 12, 13 ; Wagler, N. Syst. Amph. t. 10. f. 37, 40, t. 11 (skeleton). The skull of the skeleton in the British Museum is solid, heavy, rather longer than wide in the widest part; crown rather convex ; nose erect; sides of face concave ; orbit large ; zygomatic arch strong, broad, convex, about as wide as the small oblong tympanic cavity. Palate very deeply concave in front, gradually shelving off to the ethmoid, with three narrow laminar longitudinal ridges near together in the centre of the concavity. Ethmoid bone narrow, with a narrow, linear, rather arched ridge on each side. Lower jaw with a deep narrow groove parallel to and as long as the short outer margin, and with a prominence in front. The skull is 2 inches long from the nose to the condyle, and If inch wide over the zygomatic arches, which is the widest part. The mastoid bone, in the different species of Tortoises, differs greatly in shape ; in this species it is short, with a shelving outer surface ; it is always hollow, forming a tympanic cavity. 5. TESTUDO (SCAPIA) FALCONERI. B.M. Skull solid, oblong; face broad, rounded in front. The groove on the palate very deep and wide. The upper jaw with three narrow ridges-one on each edge of the margin, and a short one intermediate between them ; the outer margin high and without any teeth. Lower jaw with a sharp edge, a rather acute sharp edge in the front part, and with a sharp inner ridge rather more than half the length of the side, separated from the outer edge by a deep groove. Hab. India 1 Length of skull from nose to condyle 3^ inches ; width 2 inches 5 lines, of forehead between orbits 2^ inches ; length of outer edge of upper jaw 1 inch 8 lines. The skull above described was received in Dr. Falconer's collection, which was presented to the British Museum by his brother on his |
