3-1-1 nrn.MA. irs people a.y/> piiodcctioxs. 



C. VIKGATA, Sclav. 



The Indian edible turtle. Leik-pj-en-won. 



These two species closely resemble each other, the latter only is algivorons and 

 edible, the former beinp; a coarse feeder, and the flesh rank. Both species inhabit the 

 Bay of Bengal, but the former seems the most numerous. 



The possession of lour pairs only of costal plates forms a ready means of dis- 

 tinguisliing the delicate and edible Clielonia from the coarse and rank Couaiia, which 

 is so often unknowingly consumed in its place. The butler of the Bengal and 

 Madras Clubs should be specially instructed in the mystery of diagnosing the two 

 species. Dining myself once at the Bengal Club in Calcutta, I was struck with the 

 poor quality of the turtle soup, so in the morning, I visited the turtle tank, where 

 the fellow turtle, of the one I had feasted on, awaited his turn for the same evening. 

 A glance sufficed to show that it was a nasty ' loggerhead ' {Couana), and moreover 

 that the poor beast was dead, perhaps from being put into fresh water. Let us hope 

 there was no turtle soup that night for dinner, but tliese things require very shai-p 

 looking after. Of course if one docs happen to die from eating bad turtle, it is put 

 down to Cholera — or the Climate ! 



Caretta, Mcrrcn. 



Four pairs of costal shields. Shields keeled and imbricate. Carnivorous. Inedible. 



C. SQ-UAMOSA, Bontiiis. 



The ' tortoise shell ' or Hawk's-bill turtle. 



This species grows to 2 feet in length, and yields the tortoise shell of commerce. 

 In Couana and Chehnia the plates are thin, almost papyraceous, and of little value. 

 Dermatochelys, Bhinvilh. 



Shell suboordiform, covered -w'ith a coriaceous skin, and traversed by 7 longitu- 

 dinal ridges. 



D. COEIACEA, L. 



A female of this rare species was captured near the mouth of the Ye Biver, in 

 Tcnasserim, on 1st February, 1862, where she had resorted to lay eggs. The shell was 

 covered with a leathei-y skin of a blackish neutral colour above, covered with white 

 spots, like splashes of whitewash. Below a pale flesh colour, blotched with neutral. 

 The shell measured five and a half feet, and it took six men to lift the animal. This 

 species is found in the Mediterranean Sea and on the English coast, and grows to 

 eight hundred pounds weight. Tickell gives an excellent figure of the animal 

 (J..-\.S.B. 1862). The fore paddle of his specimen measured three feet three inches, 

 and the body was two feet high. When surprised by Burmese fishermen, she dragged 

 six men along with her, nearly into the sea, but was overpowered by others running 

 up, and is now in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. 



