144 PHILOSOPHrCAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1771. 



the extremity of the tail on the inside. The turtle from which these characters 

 were taken was a female; after she came into my possession she laid 15 eggs, and 

 about the same number were taken out of the belly when she died. The eggs 

 were nearly an inch diameter, and perfectly spherical. It is esteemed very good 

 eating, and said by many to be more delicate than the green turtle.' 



The other species of tortoise, which I name the tuberculated,* was commu- 

 nicated to me by Mr. Humphries, of St. Martin's lane, merchant of minerals, 

 shells, and insects. He was unacquainted with its place and history ; therefore 

 I must content myself with giving a mere description of it, deprived as I am of 

 the knowledge of its manners and uses, without which even natural history is as 

 replete with dulness as with inutility. Its length, from nose to the extremity 

 of the back, is 3 inches 3 lines ; its greatest breadth one inch and a half. I'he 

 head is large and scaly. The neck thick and wrinkled. Eyes full ; nostrils small 

 and oval ; the end of the upper mandible long and bifurcated, lapping very far 

 over the lower. 



The back is divided lengthwise, with 5 prominent ribs covered with large 

 yellow tubercles; the intervening part is dusky, and divided by multitudes of 

 lesser and more depressed tubercles. The whole circumference of the back 

 bounded by a tuberculated rib, like those on the upper part. The extremity 

 furcated. The whole is coriaceous and pliant. The tail is depressed sideways, 

 tapers to a point, and reaches beyond the end of the back. The belly is yellow, 

 tuberculated like the back, but marked with 6 rows greatly prominent. The 

 prior fins are longer than the whole bod\', very thin, dusky, and edged on their 

 interior sides with white, and both the surfaces are covered with depressed tu- 

 bercles. The hind fins are broad, much dilated near their end, and slightly bilo- 

 bated : none of these fins had the least marks of toes or nails. This may pro- 

 bably be the same with the testudo coriacea of Linnaeus, p. 350, or the 

 coriaceous one above mentioned : but as I have not at present before me the 

 authors cited by that able naturalist, I will not pretend to pronounce with cer- 

 tainty whether it is the same. 



PI. 4, fig. 1, is the soft-shelled tortoise. 2. The same on its back. 3. The 

 same with its neck exerted; drawn from the dried animal. 4. The tuberculated 

 tortoise. 5. Exhibits the form of the mouth. 



* This is probably no other than the young of the Testudo coriacea, Lin. T, pedibus pinnifor- 

 mibus muticis, testa coriacea, caudm angulu septem exaratis. It grows to a vast size, and is found in 

 the Mediterranean and Atlantic. 



