Chap. III. 



GENERA AND SPECIES OF CIIELONIOID^. 



379 



England, nor has it ever been observed upon the shores of Europe. Along the 

 coast of Florida, it approaches the shore in the early part of the summer to 

 deposit its eggs in the sand ; but the statement of DeKay, that they are hatched 

 in the course of two or three weeks, is certainly incorrect, as no Turtle develops 

 so rapidly. The shortest period of incubation of Turtles' eggs I have ascertained 

 to be about seven weeks. Though regularly brought to our markets in the 

 season, I have failed to obtain mature eggs of this species, and young recently 

 hatched; but Gravenhorst^ gives a good description of the young, and Audubon 

 a very interesting and full account of the breeding.^ This species is also reported 

 to occur along the Atlantic coast of Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to the 

 Cape de Verd Islands ; but I have had no opportunity of comparing specimens from 

 these regions. Nor can I give an opinion from personal experience respecting 

 the green Turtles of the Ked Sea and of the Indian Ocean. Tschudi states that 

 Chelonia Mydas occurs on the coast of Peru ; but, as he does not say that he 

 compared it with Atlantic specimens, it may be the following species. 



Chelonia virgata, Schw. Without entering into the question of the identity of 

 the green Turtles all over the immense range of the Pacific Ocean,^ I can state 

 that there occur.s, along the coast of California, a species of green Turtles which is 

 entirely distinct from that of the Atlantic, by its more elevated and more arched 

 back, and by the emargination of its sides over the hind limbs. Besides heads 

 and paddles, I am indebted for two p>6rfect specimens of this species to my friend, 

 Th. G. Cary, Jr., of San Francisco, to whom I already owe so many scientific 

 treasures from California. I have thus been able to compare it with the Che- 

 lonia Mydas of the Atlantic, from which it certainly differs as species. As far 

 as I know, this is the first time that sea Turtles are mentioned from the west- 

 ern shores of North America. Mr. Cary informs me that they are found alon"- 

 the whole southern coast of California. The only doubt I have left in my mind 

 respecting this Pacific green Turtle is, whether it is identical or not with the spe- 

 cies described from Malabar and the East Indian Ocean.^ 



' Dcliciaj Musei zoologici Vratislaviensis, Lipsioe, 

 1829, fol. 



= Ornith. Riogr. II. p. 370. 



* Green Turtles arc mentionetl tVoin the Galapa- 

 gos, from the wliole range of the Polynesian Islands, 

 from New IloUaiul, from the Philippine and Sunda 

 Islands, from the whole eastern coast of Asia as far 

 north as Japan, from the Ued Sea and the Indian 

 Ocean, and from the eastern coasts of Africa. Put, 

 whedii]- (licy belong to one and the same species or 

 not, renuiiiis to be ascertained by direct comparisons. 



■* These species are described by Dumeril and 

 Bibron under the names of Chelonia maculosa. Cut:, 

 and marmorata, Ditm. and Bibi: Cuvier's Clielonia 

 laerymata is referred by tiiem to Chelonia maculosa. 

 I am inclined to admit that my California specimens 

 are identical with Clieloiiia maculosa; but I ipiestion 

 the specific diH'erence of Chelonia maculosa, Cuv., 

 and Chelonia virgata, ^<-/(«'., and therefore refer them 

 under the older name, Chelonia virgata, Schw. For 

 reference to these species, see Dumeril and Bibron, 

 Erpet. gener., vol. 2, p. 541-546. 



