ZooL.— Vol. IV] VAN DENBURGH—DERMOCHELYS 55 



museum at Coronado, San Diego County, which I am told 

 is now a thing of the past. All that I have been able to learn 

 of its history is contained in the following note from Mrs. 

 E. S. Newcomb, who was in charge of the collection: 



"Coronado, March 21, 1896. 



" Dear Sir : — I am only posted in regard to one marine 

 turtle, which hangs in the entrance of our museum, and pro- 

 vokes various witty remarks from the travelling public. . . . 

 This turtle was caught off Point Loma [San Diego Co.] by 

 a fisherman, weight 800 lbs. He sold it to the market, where 

 Prof. Ward recognized the skin as belonging to the Harp or 

 Lute turtle, and purchased it for this museum. It has been 

 here eight years. I am sorry my information is so meagre, 

 but it is the best I can give you. 



" Yours sincerely, 



"(Mrs.) E. S. Newcomb." 



With no material for comparison I am unable to form an 

 opinion as to the identity or specific distinctness of the 

 Leather-back Turtles of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific 

 oceans; but Distant's photograph of an individual from 

 South Africa^ certainl}^ shows a style of coloration very dif- 

 ferent from that seen in those reproduced here. 



A view of the superior surface of the hyoid is given 

 (Plate XI ) which makes it evident that the specimen figured 

 by Gervais' was incomplete. 



San Francisco, California, 

 August 4, 1905. 



1 Distant, Zoologist, 4th ser. v. 2, 1898, p. 500. 



2 Gervais, N. Arch. Mus. v. 8, 1S72, pi. vil, fig. 2. 



