290 REFflLIA. [SPHARGIS. 



ORDER I. TESTUDINATA. 



GEN. 1. SPHARGIS, Merr. 



1. S. coriacea, Gray. (Coriaceous Turtle.) Shell 

 oval, pointed behind, with three longitudinal ridges. 



S. coriacea, Gray, Syn. Rept. part i. p. 51. Testudo coriacea, 

 Linn. Syst. Nat. torn. i. p. 350. Turt. Brit. Faun. p. 78. Coriudo 

 coriacea, Flem. Brit. An. p. 149. Turtle, Borl. Nat. Hist, of 

 Cornw. p. 285. pi. 27. f. 4. Coriaceous Tortoise, Penn. Brit. Zool. 

 vol. in. p. 7. pi. 1. Coriaceous Turtle, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. in. 

 part i. p. 77. pi. 21. 



DIMENS. Said to attain the length of eight feet. 



This species, which is a native of the Mediterranean, has heen occa- 

 sionally taken in our seas. Borlase mentions two which were caught in 

 the mackerel-nets off the coast of Cornwall, in July 1756. The largest 

 measured six feet nine inches from the tip of the nose to the end of the 

 shell, and was adjudged to weigh eight hundred pounds. Pennant speaks 

 of a third individual, of equal weight with that just alluded to, which was 

 taken on the coast of Dorsetshire. Obs. The anterior extremities in this 

 species are said to he proportionally longer in the young animal than in 

 the adult. 



GEN. 2. CHELONIA, Brongn. 



2. C. imbricata, Gray. (Imbricated Turtle.) Shell 

 elliptic, carinated, with the plates of the disk imbricated. 



C. imhricata, Gray, Syn. Rept. part i. p. 52. Testudo imhricata, 

 Linn. Syst. Nat. torn. i. p. 350. Turt. Brit. Faun. p. 78. Chelona 

 imhricata, Flem. Brit. An. p. 149. Imhricated Turtle, Shaw, 

 Gen. Zool. vol. in. part i. p. 89. pi. 26. 



DIMENS. General length, from the tip of the hill to the end of the 

 shell, about three feet : has heen known to measure five feet. SHAW. 



DESCRIPT. Body roundish-ovate, slightly heart-shaped, slightly cari- 

 nated down the hack : head small, prominent ; with the upper mandible 

 curved over the lower : two claws on each foot : plates of the disk imbri- 

 cated, thirteen in number, rather square, semi-transparent, variegated ; 

 of the circumference twenty-five, pointed and incumbent on each other in 

 a serrated manner : tail a mere notch. TURT. 



