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Show 1869.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE TORTOISES. 1/1 Museum,' t. 35. f. 1, and the larger Testudo planiceps, figured the same work, t. 34, and only known from a skull in the Museum collection. From its size, it is most probably the skull of one of the Black Tortoises of Asia that have been called Testudo indica, which are found spread over all parts of the Asiatic region, also on the islands off the east coast of Africa, and in California and the Galapagos, and of whirm certain variations in form were regarded by the older writers as denoting distinct species. Modern writers on the subject have united these into a single species under the name of Testudo indica. Testudo falconeri and T. planiceps having been described from skulls in museums, without any knowledge of the thoraces of the animals to which they belonged, I am not able to say if they are identical with any of the Tortoises which have been described from thoraces only, under the names of Testudo elephantopus, T. nigra, T. dussumieri, T. gigantea, T. vosmaeri, T. nigrita, T. duudini, T. ele-phantina, T. perraultii, and T. peltastes. This is one of those instances which ought to teach naturalists caution in determining species without the examination of all the parts of the animal, the skull as well as the thorax. The Tortoises that have been called T. indica are found in India, x-Yfrica, and iVmericat or rather on the islands of these two latter continents; and it has been supposed that they have been introduced to these places by ships, as they are sometimes collected and used as food aboard ship. Some say they were introduced into India, and the original habitat of the species is unknown. Perhaps the discovery that there are several species confounded under the name of T. indica may solve this problem. There is a large species of Tortoise from India named Manouria fusca, the skull of which has somewhat the general form of that of Testudo falconeri; but the latter differs in having a broad, well-developed zygomatic arch, the arch in Manouria fusca being slender and weak. 2. PELTASTES. The alveolar margin of the upper jaw rather broad in the hinder part, interrupted in front by a broad concavity over the anterior internal nostril; the broad hinder part with a slightly raised ridge and a similar raised inner edge nearly parallel to the margin of the jaw ; the front of the jaws has two slight prominences, separated by a slight notch. Lower jaw slender, with a short edge in front, and with a rather deep rounded groove with a very thin inner edge occupying the inner surface of the hinder half of the margin. 1. PELTASTES ELONGATUS. Testudo elongata, Gray, P. Z. S. 1861, p. 139. Hab. India. There are two skulls of this kind in the British Museum, the smaller sent by Professor Oldham with the thorax, which proves it to be the skull of T. elongata; the larger one was presented by the |
