LEPIDOCHELYS OLIVACEA. 435 



with six middle pairs of shields, and four lateral ones. One claw to 

 each flipper, either well developed or blunt and rudimentary. 



SYX. Lepidochelys, Fixz. Syst. Kept, r, 1843, 30. 



OBSERV. This genus is more closely allied to Thalaesoclielys than 

 any other of the same family. It differs from it by a somewhat 

 smaller head, smaller eye, the disposition or arrangement of the 

 cephalic plates, and especially by the presence of one claw only to 

 each hand and foot. Eschscholtz already spoke of the affinities of his 

 Chelonia ollvacea with G. cephalo, one of the names given to the 

 Loggerhead or T. corticata. Dum^ril and Bibron themselves placed 

 their G. dussumieri, which they consider as identical with G. olivacea, 

 in the same subgerieric group with the Loggerhead properly so called. 

 In a philosophical point of view it may be stated that Lepidochelys 

 represents in the East Indies the Loggerheads or Thalassochelys of the 

 Atlantic Ocean. The flesh is equally unpalatable to a civilized popu- 

 lation. 



In tracing the further history of L. olivacea and L. dussumieri, the 

 naturalist must not lose sight of Caouana. elongata and Testudo cepe~ 

 diana, already alluded to above (p. 430). 



1. LEPIDOCHELYS OLIVACEA, Fitz. 



SPEC. CHAR. Anterior pair of parietal plates contiguous upon their 

 inner margin, and interposing themselves between the vertex plate 

 and the postfrontal pair. Second and third pair of parietals rather 

 large ; second pair of postoccipitals smaller than the first pair. 

 Carapax subcordate. Seven unequal vertebral shields, and six or 

 seven costal pairs. Posterior extremity of the carapax but slightly 

 emarginated. A blunt nail to each flipper. Greenish-olive above ; 

 pale yellow beneath. 



STN. Chelonia olivacea, ESCHSCH. Zool. Atlas, I, 1829, 2, Tab. ni. CANTOR, 

 Catal. Kept. Malay. Penins. 1847, 13. 



Chelonia caouana, var. B. GRAY, Synops. Kept, in Griff. Anim. Kingd. IX, 1831, 

 54. 



