Chelona. reptiles. CHELONIA. 149 



CHELONIA. 



* STRAGGLERS, 



Genits chelona. — Lips corneous. Breast-plate inter- 

 rupted by intervening cartilaginous spaces. Back-plate 

 covered with corneous scales. 



1. Ch. imbricata. Hawks-bill Tortoise. — Two claws on 

 each hind-foot. Back-plate heart-shaped, the scales imbricated. 



Testudo marina, Sibb. Scot. 13 — T. caretta, Ray, Syn. Quad. 258 — T. 

 imbricata, Linn. Svst. i. 350. Lacepede, Ovip. Quad. (Trans, by Kerr, 

 Edin. 1802.), i. 138. Turton's Brit. Fauna, 78 — A rare visitant. 



This species, common in the American seas, can be viewed onlj' as an acci- 

 dental straggler, when appearing on our coasts. Sibbald, in his Prodromus, 

 first noticed the occurrence ; afterwards m his Auctarium Mussei Balfouriani, 

 p. 193., he adds, "Testudo marina squamosa. The Scalie .S'ea-Tortowe; 

 the shell of it. The animal came in to Orkney, and this was sent to me 

 from thence." Low does not mention this notice of Sibbald, and appears not 

 to have been aware even of the occasional visits of this animal to the coast. 

 I have credible testimony of its having been taken at Papa Stour, one of the 

 west Zetland Islands. 



Dr Turton has recorded one instance of an individual, which, " in the 

 spring of 1774, was taken in the Severn, and placed in the fish-ponds of the 

 author's father, where it lived till winter." 



Genus CORIUDO. — Back-plate coriaceous, ridged, and des- 

 titute of scales. 



1. C. cor'iacea. Leathern Tortoise, — Breast-plate imperfect. 

 Back-plate pointed behind, with five longitudinal ridges. 



T. cor. Borlase, Corn. 285. tab. xxvii. f. 4. Linn. Syst. i. 350. Penru 

 Brit. Zool. iii, 7- Lac. Ov. Quad. i. 146.— South coast of England. 

 Two instances of the occurrence of this species, on the coast of Cornwall, 

 in July 1756, are mentioned by Borlase. 



The geographical limits of marine animals are too imperfectly known, to 

 enable the naturalist to determine the true character of those occasional visi- 

 tants. Uncommonly warm seasons, the more or less abundant supply of 

 food, or the prevalence of storms, may bring to our shores the tortoises and 

 other animals of more southern seas, without enabling us to claim them as 

 natives. The tortoises do not lay their eggs in such high latitudes, nor is it 

 probable, that, unless by accident, they would ever visit us. They can exe- 

 cute extensive migrations, and practise abstinence, otherwise, instead of oc- 

 curring in a live state, they would be cast up a putrid mass on the shores. 

 Examples may occur likewise, of such as may have escaped from wrecked 

 vessels. Taking these circumstances in connection, it is probable that the 

 Ch. caouna, or Logger-headed Tortoise, common in the Mediterranean, and the 



