440 



CHELONIA. 



the condition of things. Future investigators alone will be competent 

 to decide the question rightfully, should they enter the field well 

 prepared for conducting a series of observations upon all the speci- 

 mens which an Antarctic cruise is likely to place before their eyes. 



The " Note-book" of the Expedition, under the head of Broken Bay, 

 Southeast Australia, states that a small specimen of the Caret genus 

 had been observed at that place, and that " it might prove distinct 

 from the Feejees species." 



The various species of the genus Oaretta yield the Tortoise-shell of 

 commerce, which is of various qualities, affecting its market price.* 

 This fact alone would seem to point at a diversity of species. Their 

 flesh is, generally speaking, of an inferior quality, and unpalatable, to 

 Europeans, especially in the East and West Indies. Indeed, in the 

 West Indies, it is spoken of not only as unpalatable but as possessing 

 highly cathartic properties. In the South Pacific Ocean, however, 

 we are informed that " it was tried repeatedly, and not found at all 

 inferior" to that of the true Cheloniae. 



1. CARETTA IMBRICATA, Merr. 



SPEC. CHAR. Carapax subcordiform, rather elevated ; dorsal region 

 shelving; periphery deeply emarginated posteriorly. Vertebral 

 shields ridged along their middle : anterior one triangular ; the 

 remaining four rhomboid. Middle occipital plate much broader 

 than long. Middle postorbital smaller than the other two. Skin 

 of the neck without horny plates. Ground color yellow or fawn, 

 marmorated with brown. 



SYN. Testudoimbricata,~Liny. Syst. Nat. ed. X, 1, 1758, 197; &, ed. XII a , 1, 1766, 

 350. WALB. Chelonogr. 1782,46 & 110. SCHN. Allg. Naturg. Schildk. II, 1783, 309; 

 &, Beytr. Naturg. Schildk. in Leipz. Magaz. z. Naturk. 1786, 258. GMEL. in Linn. Syst. 

 Nat. ed. XIII", I, in, 1788, 1036. LACEP. Quadr. ovip. I, 1788, 105. Tab. n. 

 SCHOSPFF, Hist. Testud. 1792, 83. Tab. xvm A, &xvinB. DONND. Zool. Beytr. Ill, 

 1798, 3. Cov. Tabl. elem. d'hist. nat. 1798, 288; Regn. anim. II, 1817, 13; 2d ed. 

 II, 1829, 13 ; &, ed. illustr. Kept. 19. LATR. Hist. nat. Kept. I, 1802, 50. PI. I, fig. 

 2. SHAW, Gen. Zool. Ill, i, 1802, 89. Tab. xxvi & xxvii. 



Testudo caretta, RAY, Synops. meth. Anim. Quadr. & Serp. gen. 1693, 258. 



* Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Second Series. Vol. IV, 1849, 297. 



