C H E L O N I A. 



the fore and hind feet are furnished with two sharp 

 claws. 



The individuals of this species are most abundant 

 in the tropical seas, especially about the West India 

 islands ; but they are also found in the Mediterranean 

 particularly on the coasts of Sicily and Sardinia. 



In its manners, this is one of the fiercest of the 

 chelonian tribe ; it defends itself with great courage 

 and activity, both with its mouth arid claws, and has 

 been known to snap a moderate-sized walking-stick 

 with a single stroke of its jaws. It appears to be the 

 most predacious of all the turtles, not only feeding on 

 shell fish of considerable size, the habitations of which 

 it easily breaks with its strong mandibles, but attack- 

 ing the young crocodiles, seizing them by the tail as 

 they retire backwards into the water. Thus these 

 annuals instinctively perform an act of retributive 

 justice. The older crocodiles make a prey of the 

 eggs and young of those turtles which inhabit the 

 shores to which they resort, and the turtles in return 

 seize on the young crocodiles while they are too 

 weak to defend themselves. 



The loggerhead turtle wanders very far from land. 

 It has been seen apparently sleeping on the surface 

 of the ocean, about midway between the Azores and 

 Bahama islands, at a distance of many hundred miles 

 from land. The female lays her eggs in the sand. 



The flesh of this species is coarse and rank, and 

 eaten only by the lowest classes of the people. Its 

 body, however, affords a considerable quantity of oil, 

 which is used for burning in lamps, and dressing 

 leather. The plates of its shell are too thin for most 

 purposes, but have been employed in cabinet work. 



Chelonia coriacea, the leather-coat tortoise. There 

 are several varieties of this specios, all inhabitants of 

 the sea, and some of them found at least occasionally 

 in the Mediterranean. Their shield, even on the 

 back, is flexible and leathery, and they have no plates 

 even on the under part. Their flesh is not eaten, 

 neither is there any part of them used in the arts ; 

 but it is necessary to attend to them with some care, 

 as they have been confounded with some of the fresh- 

 water tortoises. 



GENUS II. TORTOISES (Testudo). These admit of 

 division into several genera or sub-genera, according 

 to their appearance and habits ; and the species are 

 very numerous, so much so, indeed, that we shall not 

 attempt even to give a list of them. There are at 

 least between fifty and eighty species, about thirty-six 

 of which live generally in the fresh water, and the 

 remainder generally upon land ; but both of them 

 hybernate in the mud or earth. 



The fresh-water tortoises have all the toes sepa- 

 rated, and generally a crooked claw upon each, though 

 they are generally more or less webbed, or united by 

 loose membranes. They have five toes on the fore 

 feet, and four on the hind ; and the feet are adapted 

 both for swimming and walking. Their principal 

 food consists of insects, small aquatic animals and 

 fishes, and some of them eat voraciously, though all 

 are capable of long abstinence. Some of them have 

 the shell more and some less consistent. 



European fresh-water Tortoise (Testudo Europeea). 

 This species is very common rn the south and east of 

 Europe, and is found as far to the northward as Prussia. 

 It grows to the length of about ten inches. Its shield 

 is oval, not much convex, nearly smooth, of a blackish 

 ground colour, and spotted over with yellow points 



disposed in rays. Its flesh is eatable, and it is some- 

 times fed with bread and green leaves, but it also eats 

 insects, common slugs, and small fishes. It is some- 

 times made use of for clearing gardens of molluscous 

 pests ; but it does not thrive unless the garden con- 

 tains a pond of water, and if there are fish in the 

 pond, it is very apt to lay them under contribution. 

 Its general progressive motion is very slow, but its 

 ; neck admits of rapid motion, and, indeed, the neck is 

 the grand organ of motion in the whole order. The 

 other fresh-water tortoises are chiefly met with in the 

 warmer regions of the world, though they have more 

 range in latitude than the sea turtle. 



Some of them have no scaly plates either on the 

 j shield or the breast-plate, but are supported entirely 

 I by the bones. They have in general their ribs pro- 

 duced on the margins of their covering, so as to form 

 i a border which is partially moveable, and of conside- 

 rable assistance to them when they swim, which they 

 ' do in shallow waters and among aquatic plants, 

 where it is more difficult to make way than in the 

 haunts of the sea turtle. They are also among the 

 most active of the order ; and though they have not 

 the strong protection of the horny shell, they are 

 endowed with a degree of activity and courage, which 

 much more than compensates. They are all inhabi- 

 tants of the fresh waters ; and, with the exception of 

 those in the sea, they are the largest animals of the 

 order. We shall mention only the two principal ones. 



Soft Turtle of the Nile (Testudo triunguis). This 

 species is found principally in that river from which 

 it derives its common name. Its colour is green, 

 spotted with white, and the shield on its back is a 

 little convex. It is an active animal, preying on 

 young crocodiles, of which it destroys great numbers 

 It sometimes attains the length of three feet or 

 upwards. 



Fierce Tortoise (Testudo ferox). This is the most 

 formidable of all the tribe ; and as it has been con- 

 founded by some writers with the coriaceous turtle, 

 it is necessary to attend to the distinction between 

 them. The coriaceous turtle has an oblong body, 

 covered immediately with a bony shell ; but that 

 shell is invested with a tough membranous coat 

 resembling leather, plaited longitudinally, and the 

 shield terminates behind in an acute point, over- 

 hanging the tail. The body of the fierce tortoise is 

 rounder and more convex, and the middle part of 

 the shield is hard ; but its margin, especially towards 

 the tail, is soft and pliable, resembling thin sole 

 leather, and the hind part is rounded. The tail of 

 the first species is long, and very thick at the root ; 

 that of the second very short and small. The head 

 of the former is small, round, and terminates in a 

 beak, resembling the bill of a bird ; that of the "latter 

 is proportionally larger and longer, with a long ta- 

 pering cylindrical snout, having some resemblance 

 to that of the mole. The coriaceous turtle is an 

 inhabitant of the sea, is frequently found in the 

 Mediterranean, and has been seen even on the coast 

 of Britain. The fierce tortoise has yet been found 

 otdy in the rivers and fresh-water lakes of America, 

 especially in Florida and Carolina. The former is a 

 large species, often measuring above seven feet in 

 length ; the latter seldom weighs above seventy 

 pounds. 



The fierce tortoise frequents lakes and muddy 

 rivers, and hides itself among the water plants that 



