CHELONIANS. 471 



wholesome food to voyagers in tropical climates. It has twelve 

 pair of scales of a greenish color, but they do not overlay each 

 other, and are of no use in the arts. Green Turtles are very 

 common in shallow parts of the sea near the islands and the 

 shores of continents, within the tropics, where they may be seen 

 in great numbers among the sea-weeds, grazing like a herd of 

 cattle ; occasionally coming to the surface to breathe, and some- 

 times remaining there, basking in the sunshine. They are often 

 caught at sea in calm weather, a harpoon and line being used. 

 The usual length is four or five feet, arid the weight from four 

 hundred to eight hundred pounds ; but this Turtle has been 

 known to " reach the length of eight feet, and a weight of fif- 

 teen hundred pounds." The flesh of the smaller ones is, how- 

 ever, the more highly esteemed. 



The coast of Florida is one of the resorts for the females, 

 which deposit each, every spring, between one hundred and two 

 hundred eggs in the sand, where they hatch in about seven or 

 eight weeks. But scarcely a thirtieth of this number gain the 

 sea, or live a week after reaching it. Birds and beasts of prey 

 thin the number of those hatched ; and crocodiles and rapacious 

 fishes are ready to seize upon such as escape destruction on 

 land and gain the water. 



The TORTOISE SHELL TURTLE, Chelonia imbricata, or Eret- 

 mochelys, (Gr. eretmon, an oar; chelus, a tortoise,) imbricata, 

 (Ag.,) has the horny muzzle somewhat lengthened into a sharp 

 point, and the lower jaw is received into a groove of the upper, 

 so that the food can be cut as well as bruised by it. The shield 

 has twelve pair of scales. They overlap each other, at least 

 one-third of each lying over the one behind it ; hence this spe- 

 cies is named imbricata, (imbricated.) The plates increase only 

 in front. As they enlarge there, " the older parts move back- 

 wards, where they are worn off by external mechanical agencies. 

 This process goes on so fast that in a specimen of two feet in 

 length, no trace of those primary scales which covered the whole 

 shield, during the first year, could be found. This mode of 

 growing and moulting, if we may call it so, is very similar to 

 that in the human nail." (Ag.) The flesh of this Turtle has 

 a disagreeable flavor, probably arising from the nature of its 

 food. The animal is chiefly sought for the plates of the cara- 

 pace, called " Tortoise Shell," and which are much thicker and 

 stronger, as well as more clouded in color than those of any 

 other species. The shell procured from the live Turtle is thought 

 to be the finest. The epidermis, or outer shell, is said to change 

 every year. The shell is removed from the bone of the cara- 



