28 CHELONIA MYDAS. 



and serrated at the sides; the lower is covered with three corneous portions, is 

 deeply serrated at the cutting margin and furnished with a hook in front. ' 



The anterior extremities are long, rounded at the shoulder, and covered with a 

 tough skin and a few small plates; while the fore-arm, carpus and fingers are 

 flattened like a fin, and are covered with large strong polygonal plates on the 

 anterior border, and with smaller plates above and below; along the posterior 

 margin of the fore-arm and carpus is extended a fold of skin, capable of being 

 distended when the limb is stretched, or folded when it is flexed; in this are 

 imbedded five or six large plates, quadrilateral or polygonal. There is one nail 

 or horny point at the first joint of the anterior finger, of variable size, and 

 sometimes slightly curved. The posterior extremity is short, rounded above, but 

 flattened at the tarsus like a paddle, and covered like the anterior, but with 

 smaller plates, and a fold of skin still more extensive on the posterior margin. 

 The tail is short, thick, clumsy; covered with small, soft, flexible plates above, and 

 has the vent near its tip. 



Colour. The plates on the superior surface of the head are light brown in the 

 centre, with the spaces between them yellow; those on the sides of the head are 

 of similar colour, but are margined with yellow, which gives a yellow tinge to the 

 temporal region; the neck above is dusky, and yellow near the shell, below it is 

 yellow; the shell is light brown above, sometimes it approaches a dark fawn 

 colour, marked with radiating or waving lines, or large blotches of dark brown — 

 sometimes it is tinged with green. The sternum is delicate pale yellowish-white. 

 The extremities and tail above are coloured like the shell, rather more dusky; 

 below they are yellowish-white, tinged with green, and dusky near their tips. 



Dimensions. The dimensions in the individual here described, were as follows: 

 length of head, 42 inches; breadth of head, 2i inches; length of shell, 19 inches; 

 breadth, 14 inches; length of sternmn, 12f inches; yet it frequently reaches a 

 much greater size. 



