much arched in some, hut in others the margins are divergent, which is the case
in adult males, the width of the notch exceeding the length of the pectorals and
postgulars. In hoth sexes, the pectoral exceeds the inguinal breadth.
The areola of the nuchal occurs in its anterior extremity, and in the marginals
the areolar area is situated at the posterior external angle, and is thus below the
centre of the plates. In the vertebrais, it is central and transverse, and central
in the costais, but above the middle of the plates. The shields of the carapace are
piarked by strong lines, concentric to the areolae. The areolae of the gulars occur
on the nodosities close to the anterior ends of the shields. They are almost central
on the postgulars, pectorals and abdominals, but externally eccentric on the pre-
anals.1 In youth the sternal plates are also marked with areolar concentric lines.
In the adult male the areolae all but disappear, but in the female they are well
marked on the carapace.
The head in the male is flat above between the eyes, but downwardly curved
in the female, with a nearly vertical snout, and a longitudinal gape. The pre-ocular
portion is moderately long and pointed, with the nostrils above its middle and directed
forwards and outwards, a groove running down from each to the interspace between
the three dentations at the anterior extremity of the upper jaw. The young have
the upper surface of the head considerably arched, instead of being flat. A pair of
large oblong plates on the upper surface from the nostrils to the middle of the
orbits. A portion is occasionally separated off, or partially so, from each plate in
front of the eye. Behind these plates, there is sometimes a central triangular plate,
with its base anterior, and a plate on either of its sides, but occasionally the triangular
plate is divided in two longitudinally. External to these . plates, there are
three consecutive rows of shields, occasionally divided transversely, and the most
external the smallest and separated from the tympanum by a line of two large
supra-tympanic shields which are sometimes united into one. The most anterior
of these supra-tympanic shields is separated from the eye by a large post-orbital
plate. There is a line of six small supra-orbitals, and below the post-orbital there is
a group of five pre-tympanics. In the adult male especially, the .portion of the
maxillary plate between the nostrils is frequently rubbed off, and the circumorbital
region is fleshy and almost warty. The occipital region is covered with small
irregularly-shaped plates. The tympanum in the adult is fleshy. There is a series
of small plates behind the symphysiai plate of the lower jaw. The skin of the
neck is very loose, and covered with smooth, flat, almost fleshy, minute scales. The
¿scales of the anterior surface of the forelimb are flattened, and but little projecting
or imbricate; a few enlarged scales on the posterior surface of the limb, some of
which are generally larger than the others and projecting. The scales on the heel
are enlarged; those of the hind limb generally small, flat and smooth, and arranged
more or less in transverse or oblique rows. The scales on the upper surface of the
tail are considerably larger, also those over the hip-joint. The tail of the male
terminates in a large, strong, homy claw-like point, while that of the female is only
1 The specimens are not sufficiently young to show the areolte of the anals.
capped at its extremity by a small horny .scale. The claws, five on the fore, and
four on the hind feet, are short, strong and stout.
The upper surface and sides of the head are pale-yellowish, but in adults there
is a pale-pinkish tinge about the nostrils, eye and tympanum. In very old .males,
where the skin about the nostrils has been rubbed off, the skin is very pinV, and in
these individuals the warty skin about the eye and the skin of the tympanum are
also very pink. The skin of the neck and of the limbs is greyish, and the scales of
the limbs are yellow and black, the larger scales being chiefly yellow. The claws
are yellow. In the young, the head has a greenish tinge, the nostril is faintly pink,
but there is no trace of red around the eye nor on the tympanum. The iris is deep-
brown, almost black, and the eye is clear and lustrous.
The shell has a greenish-yellow tinge in youth, the centres of the plates being
occupied with large black spots, which are, however, subject to great variation as to
size. In some instances, even in the young, they are broken up into small spots,
while in the adult male in which the shell loses all trace of green and is light
reddish-brown, they all but disappear, while some shells are nearly black above.
In the adult female, the greenish tinge remains, and the spots are more persistent.
The under surface is greenish-yellow in youth, yellowish in the adult female,
reddish- brown in the old male. The plates are covered with large black spots or
blotches, which are as variable in form and size as those on the carapace, but they
tend to disappear with age.
Measurements of shell of Testudo elongata, Blyth.
6 6 9 6 ' ' 9
Total length o f carapace in straight line . .
r': along curve \ \ . \
Breadth between second and third costais (callipers) . . . .
„• 1 „ . S' „ • ■ „ over curve . ’.
Length of sternum . . . . . . . . ,
Breadth o f sternum at a x i l l a ................................................. ' .
» f- „ at groin . .................................................
Depth through third vertebral .....................................................................
Length of ta il measured to base above . . . . . .
12-50
16-30
7-90
11-60
9-30
4-80
5-40
4-30
11-60
14-30
I
11-30
8-60
4-00
4-70
311
5-00
9-10
11-50 6-20
1000
7-10
3-90
4-60
4-30
300
11-70
14-90
7-20
11-30
8-50
4-40
4-11
3-90
4-11
►10-50 1211
6-50
9-10
7-50
3-60
4-56
3-80
3-20
Erom these measurements it is evident that the specimens mentioned by Theobald1
as adults were only adolescents, as measurements of his largest male along the curve
of the back gave only 11"' 75 compared with 16"*3, the corresponding measurement
of the largest specimen in the above table.
The female skull is considerably smaller than that of the male. The zygomatic
and post-orbital arches are thin and narrow. The three dentations of the upper
jaw anteriorly are well developed. The alveolar surface of the jaw is marked
on its posterior half by a short median ridge, with a furrow on its inner side.
There is a shallow pit on the posterior aspect of the premaxillaries. The internal
nasal fossa is long, and very broad and deep, and is marked by three sharp
1 Journ. Linn. Soc., Loud., 1868, vol. x, p. 7.