CHELONIAD.E. 



THE single and purely accidental occurrence of a bird or 

 of a fish within the range of our guns or our nets, has always 

 been deemed sufficient warrant to constitute the wanderer 

 fair game to our native Faunists. It may, perhaps, be 

 doubted whether the important and interesting subject of 

 the geographical distribution of animals can receive much 

 illustration from thus swelling the catalogue of local species 

 by the addition of such as owe their place in our Fauna 

 rather to the caprice of the winds or the waves, to the vio- 

 lence of a storm, or the temptation of an unusual chase after 

 their food, than to any regular and voluntary migration : nor 

 does there appear any very sufficient reason for distinguishing 

 between those species of birds, for example, which are driven 

 over to our coasts by the immediate force of the tempest, and 

 those which are brought from the same countries, and wafted 

 hither by the same impelling power, but through the medium 

 of the sails of a ship, and secured by the safeguard of a cage. 

 However, as such is now the established custom of naturalists, 

 I have determined on availing myself of the means thus 

 offered me, of adding to the interest of this little work, by 

 admitting, as all previous British Faunists have done, the 

 two species of stray Turtles which have accidentally been 

 found on our coasts, although certainly neither the one nor 

 the other can claim to be considered as indigenous. 



The family of CHELONIAD^, to which both the species 

 which have thus obtruded themselves into our Fauna belong, 

 is composed exclusively of marine Turtles. The most gene- 

 rally interesting species are the common esculent Turtle, 

 Chelonia Mydas, well known as a delicious article of food, 

 and the present species, which furnishes the beautiful sub- 

 stance known by the name of Tortoise-shell. 



The structure of the whole family is admirably adapted 

 to their marine habits. The body is flattened so as greatly 

 to facilitate their progress through the water ; the feet are 



