CORIACEOUS TORTOISE. Class III. 



coaft of Dorfetjhire^ and depofited in the Leverian 

 Mufeum. 



The length of the body is four feet ten inches y 

 of the head nine inches and a half j of the neck 

 three; or of the whole five feet twelve. The 

 upper jaw bifurcated at the end : the extremity 

 of the lower fharp, clafping into the fork of the up- 

 per. The noftrils fmall and round. 



The breadth of the body in the largeft part is 

 three feet. The length of the fore fins two feet 

 feven : of the hind thirteen inches and a half: are 

 fmooth, grow pointed to the extremity, and are 

 deftitute of toes. Thefe fins are (tufted : perhaps 

 the bones might have been taken out ; for in the 

 figure given by Rondeletius, which agrees in all 

 other refpecls with this fpecies, there is appearance 

 of toes, and even nails. - 



The body is covered with a ftrong hide, ex- 

 actly reiembling black leather, deftitute of fcales, 

 but marked with the appearance. The back is di- 

 vided into five longitudinal fiutings or grooves, 

 with as many fharp but fmooth rifings. 



This fpecies is faid to be extremely fat : . but the 

 fiefh coarfe and bad *, according to the report made 

 by writers who had opportunity of tailing them in 

 the Mediterranean fea. I am informed that the 

 Carthifians will eat no other than this fpecies. 



* Ronddetius, Bojfuet, 



Body 



