54 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 3D Ser. 



in throwing a noose over his head and later by attracting his 

 attention in the opposite direction got ropes around both flip- 

 pers — finally having five lines on him — and started to tow him 

 toward the shore. He repeatedly slipped the ropes off from 

 his neck and flippers — several times getting almost entirely 

 free. We were from 11:30 a. m. till nearly 4 p. m, in 

 finally landing him. When about half way to shore he sud- 

 denly turned and made a break out to sea, towing the boat 

 stern first with all sail drawing full for several hundred yards 

 with little effort. He emitted at intervals a noise resembling 

 the grunt of a wild boar. There were (when we first tackled 

 him) about a dozen ramoras attached to different parts of 

 the body. Most of them stayed with him all through the 

 struggle and only deserted him when I hoisted him to the 

 deck of the dock. I captured two of them and kept them in 

 a bucket for several daj's. One was about ten inches long. 

 The turtle lived for four days after taking out of the water — 

 being very lively when first landed and gradually subsiding. 

 I don't think this species ever come out of the water on their 

 own responsibility. 



" So far as I can learn there has been but one other of this 

 kind ever taken on this coast. It was less than half the size 

 of this and was entangled in a fisherman's net and was 

 wounded in capturing, so that it died soon after. The meat 

 was sold to the hotels here and was very fine eating. 



" Respectfully, 



" G. W. GOURLEY." 



Inquiry regarding the second specimen referred to in Mr. 

 Gourley's letter finally resulted, through the kindness of Dr. 

 Frank M. Anderson, in my securing from Mr. E. B. Hoyt 

 of San Luis Obispo, a photograph of this turtle, taken soon 

 after its death. Mr. Hoyt tells me that this photograph was 

 taken by himself at Santa Barbara in July or August, 1901. 

 It shows the animal covering more than half the length of 

 the floor of a dray on which it was lying. This photograph 

 is reproduced in Plate x. 



The third individual of this species was preserved in the 



