10 REPTILIA. 



pounds. Its flesh is highly esteemed, and furnishes a wholesome 

 and palatable supply of food to the mariner in every latitude of 

 the torrid zone. It feeds in large troops on the sea-weed at the 

 bottom of the ocean, and approaches the mouths of rivers to 

 respire. The eggs it deposits in the sand to receive the vivify- 

 ing influence of the sun, are excellent food; its shell is of no 

 value. 



In a neighbouring species, Chel. maculosa^ Nob., the middle 

 plates are twice as long as they are broad, and of a fawn-colour, 

 marked with large black spots. In a second, Chel. lachrymala, 

 Nob., whose middle plates are similar to those of the maculosa, 

 the last is so raised as to form a knob, and the fawn colour is 

 marked with black streaks. The shell is employed in the arts. 

 Test. imbncata,h.; Le Caret; Lac. I, \\\ Schoepf. XVIII, A. 

 Smaller than the viridis, has a longer muzzle and denticulated 

 jaws; there are thirteen fawn-coloured and brown plates which 

 overlap each other like tiles; its flesh is disagreeable and un- 

 wholesome, but the eggs are delicious, and it furnishes the finest 

 kind of shell employed by comb-makers, Sec. It inhabits the 

 seas of hot climates. 



There are also two species which approximate to the imbri- 

 cata, Chel. virgata^ Nob.; Bruce, Abyss., pi. xlii, whose plates 

 are less elevated, the middle ones equal, but with more acute 

 lateral angles, and marked in radii with black specks; and Chel. 

 radiata, Schoepf. xvi, B, which only differs from the preceding 

 in the increased breadth of the last middle plate; it is perhaps 

 a mere variety. 



Test, caretta, Gm. ; La Caouane; Schoepf. pi. xvi, is more 

 or less brown or red, and has fifteen plates, the middle ones of 

 which are ridged, particularly towards their extremities; the 

 point of the upper mandible is hooked, and the anterior feet are 

 longer and narrower than in the neighbouring species, preserv- 

 ing two larger nails. It is found in different seas and even in 

 the Mediterranean; it feeds on shell-fish; the flesh is not eaten, 

 and its shell is of little value, but it yields good lamp-oil. 

 Merrem has recently distinguished, by the name of Sphargis, those 



Cheloniae whose shell is destitute of plates, and merely covered 



with a sort of leather. (1) Such is 



Test, coriacea, L.; Le Luth; Lacep. I, iii; Schoepf. xxviii. A 

 very large species of the Mediterranean. Its shell is oval 

 and pointed behind, exhibiting three projecting longitudinal 

 ridges. 



(1) Fleming' calls them Coriudo; Lesiieur, Deumochelis. 



(2) Add Dertnochdis atlantica, Lesueur. 



