998 19. CHELONIIDE 
high water level. Here she digs a hole with her fins. In 
this hole, from one to two feet deep, she lays from one to 
two hundred eggs. She then scrapes the sand back over the 
eggs and levels and smooths the surface. The eggs are nearly 
spherical and are enclosed in leathery shells. The young 
enter the water as soon as hatched. The food of this turtle 
consists mostly of marine plants. 
Genus 57. Caretta 
Caretta RariNEsQuE, Specchio Sci. (Palmero), Vol. 2, No. 9, 1814, p. 
66 (type, masuta—=caretta). 
The shell is covered with thin horny plates which are not 
imbricate. There are two pairs of prefrontal plates. The 
head is very large. There usually are more than four costals 
and often more than five vertebrals. 
231. Caretta olivacea (Eschscholtz) 
Paciric LoGGERHEAD TURTLE 
Chelonia olivacea Escuscuottz, Zool. Atlas, Pt. 1, 1829, p. 2, pl. 3 (type 
locality, Manila Bay, P. I.). 
Lepidochelys olivacea VAN DensurcH, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Ser. 2, 
Vol. V, 1896, p. 1008. 
Car«sta olivacea STEJNEGER & Barpour, Check List N. Amer. Amph. 
Rept., 1917, p. 123; Van DensurcH & Srevin, Proc. Cal. Acad. 
Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. XI, 1921, p. 53; NEtson, Mem. Nat. Acad. Sci., 
Vol. XVI, 1921, p. 114. 
Description—Forelimbs long, paddle-shaped, usually 
with two claws. Head covered above with large plates of 
which two pairs occupy the prefrontal region; frontal rather 
small; interparietal largest. Horny plates of shell thin, 
little if at all imbricate; costals usually more than four and 
vertebrals often more than five. A series of plates between 
marginals and large plastral plates. Young specimens have 
the costals and vertebrals more or less strongly keeled. 
