LEATHERY TURTLE. 



17 



The following are the dimensions of the parts in my pos- 

 session of the large specimen to which I have before referred, 

 the total length of which was eight feet. 



Length of the head 



Greatest breadth of the head 



Breadth between the orbits 



Length of the fore-paddles 



Greatest breadth of the fore-paddles . 



Length of the hinder-paddles 



Breadth of the hinder-paddles 



Length of tail .... 



Supposing the neck to have been eight inches, the upper 

 shell would have been nearly six feet and a half in length. 



Although such is the meagre total of our claim to indi- 

 genous species of the Testudinata, there appears to be no 

 obvious reason why many of the land and fresh-water 

 species should not be naturalized, or at least bred in a 

 domesticated state, in our southern counties. Every one 

 knows that the Testudo Graca, or common land Tortoise, 

 will live for a great number of years in this country with- 

 out any particular care; nor do I doubt that the common 

 fresh- water species of Europe, Terrapene Europcta, might 

 be readily introduced here, as well as several species of 

 Emys from the United States. They would probably re- 

 quire some little attention for the first few winters ; but I 

 believe they may in a short time be completely acclimated. 



c 



