| OCR Text |
Show 1869.] DR. J. E. G R A Y O N T H E TORTOISES. 173 2. PELTASTES ? SULCATUS. Testudo sulcata, Miller, Gray, Cat. Shield Rept. B. M. p. 9. Hab. Africa. Skeleton in the British Museum. Skull imperfect, the nose and lower jaw having been crushed; but from what remains I suspect that it belongs to the genus Peltastes. The skull is high and short, rather like the skull of Testudo indica. The central ridge on the palate is very high and laminar, much higher than the ridge on each side of it. Zygomatic arch broad and short and convex. Tympanic cavity imperfect behind; the mastoid bone is large and entirely hollow, forming a tympanic cavity. Length of skull from nose to condyle 2| inches, width at zygomatic arches 2 inches. 3. PELTASTES GRAECUS. Skeleton in the British Museum. Skull thin ; the upper alveolar edge with a regular groove parallel to the margin, with a sharp ridge on the inner margin; the lower jaw with a regular triangular groove parallel to the whole of the lateral margin. There is a very pretty specimen (young) of P. greecus, in spirit, in the British Museum, from the valley of the Minder, Asia Minor, presented by Mr. R. MacAndrew. There are two skulls in the British Museum received from Mr. Yarrell as the skulls of Testudo greeca. They are evidently of a very distinct species ; they both belong to the genus Peltastes. 4. PELTASTES GEOGRAPHICUS? Skull of a smaller species in the Museum of the College of Surgeons, without any number. From the size, probably the skull of Testudo geographica. Skull short, broad, crown flat, broad, truncated in front; nose-hole very large, square ; orbit large, lateral; zygomatic arch slender, rather convex; tympanic cavity oblong, erect; mastoid bone half-oval, hollow, labial edge even, with three slight teeth in front; the palate very concave ; the alveolar surface very narrow in front, wider behind, with a very slight submarginal ridge on the hinder part of it. Lower jaw weaker ; alveolar edge narrow, with a swollen dentary groove behind, about two-thirds of the length of the outer side of the bone, and with a very slightly raised point in front. 5. PELTASTES ? MARGINATUS. Skull figured as the Caret, Spi.x, Cephal. t. 4. f. 12-15. 4. PYXIS. PYXIS ARACHNOIDEA, var. oblonga. Skeleton in the British Museum, received from Leyden. ' It is exactly like the oblong specimens figured by Dumeril and Bibron, Erp. Gen. t. 13. f. 2. |
