BY WILLIAM A. HASWELL, M.A., B.SC, F.L.S. 333 



are of enormous capacity, lining the whole of the dorsal aspect of 

 the body-cavity, from the root of the neck to the root of the tail. 

 That the phenomena described partake of the nature of a process 

 of auxiliary respii-ation, seems, then, extremely improbable. An 

 animal of such very moderate vital activity as a Chelonian, and 

 with such a reservoir for oxygen as it possesses in its lungs, could 

 only require such a special auxiliary respiratory process, were its 

 periods of immersion extremely prolonged. All Chelonians 

 breathe with great slowness and will bear deprivation of oxygen 

 for a very long time without injury. I am thei'efore induced to 

 regard this inhalation and exhalation of water as having no 

 functional importance, but rather to be of the nature of slight 

 spasmodic movements produced probably by the rhythmical action 

 of the respii'atory mechanism. 



