52 CHELONIA. 



Caouana olivacea. The Indian Loggerhead. 



Chelonia olivacea, Eschscholtz, Zool. Atl. tab. 3. Cantor, Catal. Mai. Rept. p. 13. 



dussumieri, Dum. ^ Bibr. Erpet. gen. ii. p. 557. 



Caouana olivacea. Gray, Catal. Shield Rept. p. 73. 



The principal character by which this species is distinguished from its Atlantic congener 

 is the presence of only a single small claw to each of its feet. It never has less than 

 fifteen vertebral and costal shields, but frequently one or several of these are again divided 

 into two, so that their number may be raised to nineteen or twenty. In old specimens (20 

 to 24 inches long) the shell is perfectly smooth, whilst m young ones each of the shields 

 mentioned is provided with a more or less prominent ridge or oblong knob. The fore limbs 

 are very long, extending backwards to the hind limbs. 



This species has been found in the Bay of Bengal, on the coasts of Malabar and Pinang, 

 and in the seas of the Philippine Islands and of China. Cantor calls a specimen the shell of 

 which is 25 inches long, not quite full-grown. He says that at Pinang it is of rare occurrence, 

 and that its flesh, though relished by the Chinese settlers, is unpalatable to Europeans. 

 According to Blyth it is abundant at the mouth of the Hoogly. Specimens are rarely 

 brought to Europe. 



CHELONIA. 



Chelonia, (F/em.) Gray, Shield Rept. p. 74. 



Thirteen vertebral and costal shields, wliich are thin and not ind)ricate. 

 Shell of young animals without or with feeble longitudinal ridges. 



Herbivorous, feeding on algae. 



The species of this genus extend over nearly all the seas between the tropics ; but whether 

 they belong to two or more species is a question which cannot be decided in the present state 

 of our knowledge. This difficulty arises chiefly from two circumstances: first, from the 

 great changes to which the form of the carapace and of the single shields is subject during 

 the diff'erent periods of life in animals which attain to so large a size as the Turtles. 

 Secondly, it is probable that the Atlantic species is difl'erent from the Indian, and from that 

 of the Pacific; again, each of these regions may be inhabited by more than one species, 

 or one species may be common to two or three oceans : but, in order to decide this question, 

 it would be necessary to have a series of examples loith their native places well ascertained ; 

 unfortunately such a series does not exist in any European collection, and thus we are 

 still unable to distinguish clearly those species which are the most important of all the 

 reptiles on account of their value to man. 



The names of Chelonia midas and Chelonia viridis have been given chiefly to specimens 

 from the Atlantic, although Indian examples also were frequently comprised under the same 



