XOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 279 



garis of Ray; Jurucua Brasiliensihus, and Tartaruga 

 Lusitanis, of the same; Tortue franche of Rocliefort, 

 Du Tertre, and Labat. 



He then describes the Testudo marina Caouanna 

 dicta, Tortue caouanna, Rochef., Labat, Ray, Kaouanne 

 of Dii Tertre, calling it the haivhs-hill turtle, describing 

 it as * very little differing from the common sea sort, only 

 in every part less,' and ' not so good victuals as the 

 former, though as common in these seas.' This is pro- 

 bably the Loggerhead turtle of authors. 



Sloane then gives an account of the Testudo caretta 

 dicta, which I take to be the true hawks-bill turtle, and 

 of which, he says, they ' are chiefly valued for their 

 scales, commonly call'd tortoiseshell ; and are fomid with 

 the others.' 



Pere Labat speaks of la tortue franche, the green 

 turtle, as ' la seide espece qui soit veritablement bonne a 

 manger ;' of le caret, the hawks-bill, as furnishing ' (^caille 

 de tortue:' — 'sa chair,' he adds, 'n'est pas bonne a man- 

 ger;' he speaks of it as 'd'une qualite purgative,' as the 

 good father found to his cost ; and indulgence in it nearly 

 cost a reverend brother his life. 



Of la caouanne, the loggerhead, he "WTites "vvith more 

 correctness than Sloane, who probably saw only young 

 specimens, that it is ' plus grande que les deux autres. 

 Son ecaille ne vaut rien. Sa chaii* n'est pas meilleure, 

 elle est toujours maigi'e, filasseuse, coriace, et de mau- 

 vaise odeur. On ue laisse pas de la sailer pour les 

 NegTes, a qui tout est hon.' 



It is, perhaps, too- much to say, that the tortoiseshell of 

 the loggerhead is entirely worthless, though it is com- 

 paratively valueless ; and, indeed, that of the hawks-bill 

 is very inferior to the true article produced by Chelone 

 imbricata. 



Labat tells us, that those who go to the turtle islands 

 or other localities to fish for the green and hawks-bill tur- 



