2 CHELONIAD. 
Tux single and purely accidental occurrence of a bird 
or of a fish within the range of our guns or our nets, has 
always been deemed sufficient warrant to constitute the 
wanderer fair game to our native Faunists. It may, per- 
haps, be doubted whether the important and interesting 
subject of the geographical distribution of animals can 
receive much illustration from thus swelling the catalogue 
of local species by the addition of such as owe their place 
in our Fauna rather to the caprice of the winds or the 
waves, to the violence of a storm, or the temptation of an 
unusual chase after their food, than to any regular and vo- 
luntary migration: nor does there appear any very sufficient 
reason for distinguishing between those species of birds, for 
example, which are driven over to our coasts by the imme- 
diate force of the tempest, and those which are brought 
from the same countries, and wafted hither by the same 
impelling power, but through the medium of the sails of a 
ship, and secured by the safeguard of a cage. However, 
as such is now the established custom of naturalists, I have 
determined on availing myself of the means thus offered 
me, of adding to the interest of this little work, by admit- 
ting, as all previous British Faunists have done, the two 
species of stray Turtles which have accidentally been found 
on our coasts, although certainly neither the one nor the 
other can claim to be considered as indigenous. 
The family of Curtontapm, to which both the species 
which have thus obtruded themselves into our Fauna 
belong, is composed exclusively of marine Turtles. The 
most generally interesting species are the common es- 
culent Turtle, Chelonia Mydas, well known as a delicious 
article of food, and the present species, which furnishes 
the beautiful substance known by the name of Tortoise- 
shell. 
