174 



THE HAWK'S-BILL TURTLE. 



(Chelonia imbricata, Schw.) 



WE have advisedly reserved the Chelonians 

 until the close of " Our Reptiles/'' instead of 

 commencing with them, as in true scientific 

 arrangement we were almost bound to do. It is 

 a doubtful point with us whether they deserve a 

 place at all, certainly not a prominent one ; and 

 that this little volume might not be regarded as 

 incomplete in its enumeration, we have added 

 them at the end, in the hope of " saving our 

 turtle," even though it should prove to be only 

 " mock turtle." 



The HawkVBill Turtle is an American species, 

 and its occurrence on our coasts must be re- 

 garded as the result of accident. Sibbald refers 

 to one of which he possessed the shell, and which 

 came from the Orkneys. Dr. Fleming states : 

 " I have credible testimony of its having been 

 taken at Papa Stour, one of the West Zetland 

 Islands," and Dr. Turton records an instance of 

 one which in the year 1774 was taken in the 

 Severn, and placed in his father's fish-ponds, 

 where it lived till winter. This is all the evidence, 



