Chap. I. 



DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



279 



noida\ Chelydroidir", and Trioiiychidic, and very long in land Turtles and in Clielo- 

 nioidae. Our observations show this variation to extend to such a degree that we 

 are unable to obtain from this part of the organization of the Testudinata an 

 ordinal character, in contradistinction from the other Reptiles, as the following table 

 satisfactorily proves.^ 



* These measurements may be of interest, as they 

 were made upon fresh specimens. Tlic numbers, 

 which express the length of the parts in the table, in- 

 dicate American inches, twelve of which make one 

 foot ; the weight of the body is given in ofiicinal 

 ounces, twelve of which make a pound, and one of 

 which is equal to 480 grains. In this table, which 

 explains itself, we will only point out Cistudo, which, 

 upon a superficial examination of its outlines, would 

 seem to Ucldug to the Tcstiulinina, (laiid Turtles,) 

 and which, by the |>ro|>ortions of the different parts 



of its intestines, is in reality an Emj-dian, as it will 

 be shown below from a critical examination of its 

 forms. See The Family Characters, below. 



^ This last measure, respecting Chelonia Caouana. 

 is borrowed from the valuable Chemical and Physio- 

 logical Investigations by Joseph Jones, published in 

 the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, vol. 

 viii., 1856, where the studi-nt will find many interest- 

 ing data relating to the digestion of Turtles in com- 

 parison with other cold blooded, and with warmblood- 

 ed animals. 



