SPHARGIS CORIACEA. 47 



is Studded with light-coloured spots; the jaws are horn colour; the throat and 

 abdomen dirty yellow. 



Dimensions. This is doubtless the largest of all the Chelonia, reaching at 

 times the enormous weight of twelve hundred pounds and more. The following 

 are the measurements taken by an excellent herpetologist, my friend Dr. E. 

 Hallowell, of Philadelphia, from a specimen caught in Chesapeake Bay in 1840: 

 — Length of head, 12 inches; elevation at angle of jaw, 7^ inches; breadth in 

 front of orbits, 5 inches; greatest breadth of occiput, 12 inches; length of 

 carapace, 4 feet 11 inches; greatest breadth, 3 feet 8 inches; elevation, 19^ 

 inches; length of anterior extremities, 3 feet 5j inches; of posterior extremities, 

 1 foot 11 inches; of tail, 13 inches: total length, 7 feet 8 inches. 



Geographical Distribution. The Sphargis coriacea inhabits the Atlantic 

 Ocean. 



General Remarks. There can be no doubt that this animal is the Testudo 

 coriacea of Linnaeus. It is so exceedingly rare, that I have never seen but the 

 dried specimen, from which my description is taken. As to the colour, however, 

 I think it may be relied on, as it was done from life by Mr. Richard. 



