16 CHELONIADA. 
quent ages of the world, it would be useless now to 
inquire: but it is not improbable that the seven ridges on 
the back of the present species may have given rise to the 
belief that it may have been the favoured animal; particu- 
larly as seven strings are by some of the ancient writers 
assigned to the lyre; for Amphion is said to have “ built 
the seven gates of Thebes in compliment to the seven 
strings of his lyre.” This legend is neither overstrained, 
nor improbable; for the margin of the shell would afford a 
very good fastening for the strings, and the arched vault 
of the back would answer the purpose of a good reverbe- 
rating cavity. 
This species is found in the Mediterranean, in the At- 
lantic, the Pacific, and the Indian Oceans. My own 
specimen, above referred to, was from the latter locality. 
The history of its occurrence on the shores of Great 
Britain is as follows: — Borlase, in his History of Corn- 
wall, mentions “two of a vast size which were caught im 
the mackerel nets off the coast of Cornwall, a little after 
Midsummer 1756. The larger weighed eight hundred 
pounds, the lesser nearly seven hundred.” Pennant states 
that “a third, of equal weight with the first, was caught 
on the coast of Dorsetshire, and deposited in the Leverian 
Museum.” This specimen, if I mistake not, is the one now 
in the British Museum. ‘‘The late Bishop of Carlisle in- 
forms me,” proceeds Pennant, “that a Tortoise was taken 
off the coast of Scarborough in 1748 or 1749. It was 
purchased by a family then resident there, and several 
persons were invited to partake of it. A gentleman, who 
was one of the guests, told them it was a Mediterranean 
Turtle, and not wholesome; only one of the company ate 
of it, who suffered severely, being seized with dreadful 
sa 4: oe ieee 
vomiting and purging. 
