C H E L O N I A. 



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coral reef. These substances not only act us i the Atlantic coasts of America, but is said not to he 



manures to the sea-weeds, but they serve to combine 

 the earthy particles more firmly together, and thus a 

 firmer hold is given to the vegetation. This is so 

 remarkable, mote especially on the reefs, that, after 

 the lapse of a year or two, substantial rock, with thick 

 vegetation upon it, may be found in places where the 

 deep sea line could previously find no bottom. 



met with in the South Sea. 



Though so much smaller than the green turtle, the 

 hawk's-bill possesses considerable strength ; and when 

 attacked, defends itself with much ferocity, giving 

 very severe and painful bites. It is also more difficult 

 to secure, as its shield is more convex, and its feet 

 longer than those of the first species ; so that when 

 turned on its back, it more readily regains its natural 

 position. The female begins to lay her eggs in May, 

 and continues, with intervals, till July. She is said 

 not to deposit, them in fine sand, but in gravel mixed 

 with shells. The young of this species very nearly 

 resembles those of the former. 



The eggs of the hawk's-bill turtle are esteemed very 

 delicious ; but its flesh is unwholesome, and affects 

 those who eat of it with fever and dysentery. It is 

 almost entirely for the plates of tortoiseshell that it 

 is made an object of search. 



The use of tortoiseshell was known to the ancients, 

 but it is only in modern times that the manufacture 

 of it has been brought to perfection. In selecting the 



dnced, sharp at the terminations, and incurvated so as plates, those are preferred which are thick, clear, and 

 to have some slight resemblance to the bills of birds transparent, and variegated with dark brown, golden 

 of prcv, and it is called, par excellence, the tortoiseshell j yellow, red, and white. In preparing them for use, 



, P . 1 ' _ ! j.1 iil CM. A I . I 1. / 1* 1.1 



Chcltmia caretta, the hawk's-bill, or tortoiseshell 

 turtle. The name of hawk's-bill is given to this 

 species from the form of the jaws, which are pro- 



turtle, because it is from this species that the fine 

 tortoiseshell used for so many ornamental purposes 

 in the arts is obtained. The plates or shells of some 



the plates are softened in warm water, and then re- 

 duced to the desired shape, by pressing them in warm 

 iron moulds. After they are cooled, they are taken 



till cool and dry. It is usual to place below them 

 metallic leaves of such a colour as it is wished should 

 appear through the transparent part of the shell. 

 In the Indian and Chinese seas the hawk's-bill turtle 



others are occasionally used, but they are very infe- ', from the mould, smoothed and polished. For the 

 rior both in colour and lustre, and thus they are purposes of inlaying in cabinet work, the moistened 

 employed only as veneers, through which a coloured plates are pressed perfectly flat, and kept in that state 

 ground may be si-en. 



The hawk's-bill turtle, though of considerable si/e, 

 is much less than the preceding, tin- largest indivi- 

 duals seldom weighing more than three or four hun- 

 dred pounds. The shield is of an oval, and almost ! ; s very plentiful ; and it forms one of the principal 

 heart-shaped form, slightly sinuated before, and 

 narrowest behind. The disk is covered with thirteen 

 plates, that are two or three lines thick, of a smooth 

 surface, nearly transparent, lying over each other 

 like tiles upon a roof. The five vertebral plates are 

 of unequal si/.e and figure, though each is ridged 

 longitudinally in the middle. That nearest the head 



is very large and quadrangular, with a semi-circular 

 margin anteriorly. The three next plates are hex- 



objects of the Malay fishery, which is carried on 

 through all the eastern archipelago, and along the 

 north-east coast of Australia. As this species is 

 valuable only on account of its shell, it is not sought 

 alter except by nations which carry on trade ; and, 

 indeed, the capture of it requires a little more dex- 

 terity than that of the eatable turtle. It. is also very 

 abundant in many parts of the AVest Indian seas, moie 

 especially in the gulf of Honduras, where great nuin- 



agonal, and have their greatest length across the \ bers are captured. It is sometimes said, that the shell 

 body. The fifth is pentagonal, with one angle directed i s inferior in the western world to what it is in the 

 backwards, and a little prolonged towards the tail, eastern; but it does not appear that there is much 

 The eight lateral plates are very large, and of an 

 irregular pentagonal figure. There are twenty-five 

 marginal plates, which are so much imbricated as to 

 give the sides of the animal a serrated appearance. 



The colour of all these plates is generally black, with 

 irregular transparent shades of red or yellow all of 

 them together sometimes weigh from four to eight 

 pounds. 



We have been thus particular in describing the 

 plates of this species, because they constitute its 

 most valuable product. They form what in Europe 

 is denominated " tortoiseshell," but which, by the in- 

 habitants of the West Indies, is more properly called 

 " turtleshell." The head and neck of the caret turtle 

 are considerably longer than those of the green 

 turtle, and the upper mandible projects so much over 

 the lower, as to give the snout a distant resemblance 

 to the bill of a bird of prey, whence English sailors 

 havo given it, the name of hawk's-bill. 



This species is found in the Asiatic seas, and on 



truth in the saying. 



Chclonia Caouanna, the loggerhead turtle. This 

 species is much more discursive than either of the 

 two former, and also occurs in higher latitudes. Its 

 colour is more or less of a reddish brown ; five plates 

 in the middle of the shield have an elevated crest in 

 the centre ; the point of the upper jaw is curved ; and 

 the legs are much longer and straighter than in either 

 of the two former species. It is a powerful animal, 

 and very energetical in all its actions. 



It is a large species, and is said sometimes to ex- 

 ceed the green turtle in size. Its head is much larger 

 in proportion than that of either of the former species. 

 The mouth, and especially the upper mandible, is also 

 of considerable size. The neck is thick, and covered 

 with a loose wrinkled skin, thinly beset with horny 

 scales. The shield is of an oval form, narrowest 

 liehind. It is of a yellow colour, with black spots. 

 The legs, especially the fore legs, are proponion- 

 ably longer than in many other species ; and both 



