CHELONIAIMBRICATA. 51 



derived. The lower jaw is also elongated, and furnished in front with a smaller 

 or less developed hook or tooth; and both have their cutting margins entire 

 or without serrse. The nostrils are small, anterior, and closely approximated. 

 The eyelids are large, the upper by far the greater, and covered with some large 

 flexible scales; they open obliquely from above, downwards and forwards. The 

 eyes are large and prominent; the pupil deep sea-blue; the iris golden, reticulated 

 with light brown. The vertical plate is hexagonal, very large, and joined before 

 to the frontal and behind to the occipital, and laterally to the superior orbitals, 

 which are oblong and of hexagonal form; the frontal plate is large, hexagonal, 

 with its greatest extent in the antero-posterior direction, and joined before to the 

 anterior frontals, and behind to the superior orbital; there are two anterior 

 frontals of similar form, but very small, and largest transversely; the nasals are 

 very small and pentagonal; there are four occipitals; the internal are larger and 

 quadrilateral; the external are smaller and of triangular shape; there are two 

 parietals that unite with the superior orbitals; and three posterior orbital plates, 

 very small, the upper quadrilateral and larger; and behind these there are several 

 polygonal temporal plates. 



The anterior extremities are very long, though not very broad, and are not 

 unlike the wings of an eagle in shape; at the shoulder they are covered with small 

 flexible plates; at the fore-arm, carpus and fingers the plates are much larger and 

 of variable form; a row of large plates, slightly imbricated, ten or twelve in num- 

 ber, are placed on the anterior border; those along the fore-arm are hexagonal; 

 those at the fingers are rather quadrilateral; on the posterior margin is a fold of 

 skin in which are placed several large elongated quadrilateral plates. The poste- 

 rior extremities are half the length of the anterior, are rather rounded at the 

 thigh, but flattened like a paddle at the tarsus and toes, and are covered like the 

 anterior, but with smaller plates, and furnished with two nails. The tail is short, 

 conical and covered with soft flexible plates, disposed without order. 



Colour. The plates of the head are chestnut-brown in the centre, sometimes 

 tinged Avith red, with their margins of lighter colour; the jaws are yellowish, with 



