﻿LEATHER-BACK 
  TURTLE. 
  335 
  

  

  The 
  foregoing 
  diagram 
  (after 
  Osborn) 
  illustrates 
  the 
  theory 
  of 
  Dollo 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  

   origin 
  of 
  the 
  Leatherback. 
  This 
  theory 
  as 
  explained 
  by 
  Osborn 
  is, 
  ' 
  ' 
  that 
  these 
  animals 
  origi- 
  

   nate 
  in 
  armoured 
  land 
  forms 
  with 
  a 
  soUd 
  bony 
  shell, 
  and 
  pass 
  from 
  the 
  terrestrio-aquatic 
  into 
  the 
  

   Uttoral 
  and 
  then 
  into 
  the 
  pelagic 
  zone, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  soUd 
  bony 
  shell, 
  being 
  no 
  longer 
  of 
  use, 
  is 
  

   gradually 
  atrophied. 
  After 
  prolonged 
  marine 
  pelagic 
  existence 
  these 
  animals 
  return 
  secondarily 
  

   to 
  the 
  Uttoral 
  zone 
  and 
  acquire 
  a 
  new 
  armature 
  of 
  rounded 
  dermal 
  ossicles 
  which 
  develop 
  on 
  

   the 
  upper 
  and 
  lower 
  shields 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  The 
  animals 
  (Sphargis) 
  then 
  for 
  a 
  second 
  time 
  take 
  

   up 
  existence 
  in 
  the 
  pelagic 
  zone, 
  during 
  which 
  the 
  dermal 
  ossicles 
  again 
  tend 
  to 
  disappear." 
  

  

  Geographic 
  Distribution. 
  — 
  Holbrook 
  (1842, 
  vol. 
  2, 
  p. 
  47) 
  dismisses 
  this 
  subject 
  with 
  the 
  

   simple 
  statement: 
  "The 
  Sphargis 
  coriacea 
  inhabits 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  Ocean." 
  It 
  is 
  certainly 
  

   pelagic, 
  ranging 
  over 
  all 
  the 
  tropical 
  and 
  semitropical 
  seas. 
  It 
  occasionally 
  visits 
  the 
  coasts 
  

   of 
  Great 
  Britain, 
  France, 
  and 
  the 
  Mediterranean, 
  but 
  is 
  more 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  Atlantic 
  

   from 
  Florida 
  to 
  Brazil, 
  — 
  the 
  West 
  Indies, 
  according 
  to 
  Agassiz, 
  being 
  its 
  home. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  

   taken 
  off 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Japan 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Indian 
  Ocean. 
  

  

  New 
  England 
  Records. 
  — 
  These 
  turtles 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  travel 
  north 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream, 
  

   leaving 
  it 
  as 
  it 
  turns 
  eastward, 
  thus 
  coming 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  colder 
  waters, 
  and 
  so 
  appear 
  occa- 
  

   sionally 
  along 
  our 
  middle 
  Atlantic 
  and 
  New 
  England 
  coasts, 
  often 
  in 
  a 
  chilled 
  and 
  benumbed 
  

   condition. 
  Hence 
  it 
  becomes 
  of 
  faunistic 
  importance 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  

   as 
  follows^: 
  — 
  

  

  1811 
  — 
  Location 
  uncertain. 
  

  

  1816 
  — 
  Sandy 
  Hook 
  (Barnum's 
  American 
  Museum). 
  

  

  1824 
  — 
  Massachusetts 
  Bay 
  (first 
  New 
  England 
  record; 
  specimen 
  now 
  in 
  Society's 
  Museum). 
  

  

  1826 
  — 
  Long 
  Island 
  Sound. 
  

  

  1848 
  — 
  Near 
  Cape 
  Cod. 
  

  

  1852 
  — 
  One 
  washed 
  ashore 
  at 
  Nahant, 
  Mass. 
  

  

  1866 
  — 
  One 
  captured 
  off 
  coast 
  of 
  Maine. 
  

  

  1875 
  — 
  One 
  at 
  Stonington, 
  Conn. 
  (July). 
  It 
  was 
  seven 
  feet 
  long 
  and 
  weighed 
  about 
  1000 
  pounds. 
  Sent 
  to 
  

  

  the 
  Smithsonian 
  Institution. 
  

   One 
  at 
  Long 
  Branch. 
  Taken 
  with 
  a 
  harpoon 
  as 
  it 
  lay 
  asleep 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  " 
  and 
  by 
  it 
  he 
  dragged 
  the 
  

  

  boat 
  several 
  miles." 
  

   One 
  taken 
  between 
  New 
  London 
  and 
  Montauk 
  Point. 
  

  

  1876 
  — 
  One 
  at 
  Stonington, 
  Conn. 
  (July). 
  

  

  1877 
  — 
  One 
  at 
  Naskeag 
  Point, 
  Maine. 
  

  

  1878 
  — 
  One 
  at 
  Narragansett 
  Bay 
  (Brown 
  Univ.). 
  

  

  1878 
  — 
  One 
  off 
  Cape 
  Elizabeth, 
  Maine 
  (Sept.). 
  

  

  1879 
  — 
  One 
  off 
  Marion, 
  Buzzards 
  Bay, 
  Mass. 
  

  

  1880 
  — 
  One 
  at 
  Annisquam, 
  Mass. 
  

  

  One 
  off 
  Cape 
  Ann, 
  Mass. 
  

   1882 
  — 
  One 
  at 
  Gloucester, 
  Mass. 
  

  

  One 
  "near 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Essex 
  Co.," 
  Mass. 
  (Peabody 
  Museum, 
  Salem). 
  

  

  ' 
  Certain 
  doubtful 
  records 
  made 
  by 
  fishermen 
  and 
  others 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  included 
  in 
  this 
  list. 
  

  

  