228 ^ MITSUKURI 



from other.s. This success was in a larsre measure due to Mr. Tsuchida, 

 whose zeal and perseverance never flagged, even under most trying 

 circumstances ; and I would here express my deep indebtedness to 

 him. My thanks are also due to Viscount Tanuma, Mr. Y. Mura- 

 kami, the Mayor of Sagara, the Chief Officer of the Sagara Police 

 Station, and several other gentlemen who assisted us in various ways 

 and showed us much kindness durino- our stay. Messrs. T. Ogfasa- 

 wara and K. Niwa of Shizuoka were also kind enough to furnish me 

 with much useful information. 



Various observation made by us on the breeding habits of the 

 sea-turtle together with similar facts which I have ascertained in 

 other species, I hope to embody, at some future time, in a separate 

 paper. A short preliminary account of these observations is already 

 published in the Zoological Magazine (Japanese) Vol. III., No. 35. 

 I will only remark here for the benefit of those who may attempt a 

 similar study, that Chelonian eggs can be transported with safety for 

 some hours immediately following their deposition, but after that, 

 their removal is apt to bring on death and decomposition. This 

 seems to be due to the circumstance that the white at the upper pole 

 is rapidly absorbed, the blastoderm becomes adherent to the shell 

 membrane, and a large fluid cavity is produced directly beneath the 

 developing embryo. In this condition, slight jarring seems to disturb 

 the delicate arrangements and to cause death. After thirty days or 

 so, Avheu tlie foetal membranes have become definitely established, the 

 eggs can again be moved with impunity. 



The embryos of C h el o nia caouana, thus obtained, together 

 with those of Trionyx japonicus and Clemmys japonica 

 which I already possess or can get in almost any desired stage, afford 

 a good basis for the comparative study of reptilian development, and I 

 intend to use them for this purpose, as I have previously used those 



