38 Catalogue of the Reptiles of Connecticut. 



teresting on that account. It is mentioned here merely by way 

 of explanation. 



Class III. Reptiles. 



Order Testudinata. 



Family Chelonidce. 



*1. Chelonia mydas, Linn., Green Tortoise, Stratford. 

 *2. Chelonia ? ? Long Island Sound, New London. 



*1. An individual of this species was taken a few years since by a shad seine, 

 seven miles up the Housatonic ; length about 2 feet, and 1£ feet wide — was kept 

 several weeks confined in a pen made in the river, at the lower wharf in this 

 village, about three miles from Stratford Point. It was fed on vegetables, such as 

 cabbages and various esculents from the garden, with an idea of making him fat 

 for the table, but he refused to eat, and finally died, though confined in salt water. 

 From the film over the eyes, he was evidently sickly when taken, as this is always 

 a symptom of disease in the whole family. 



Another individual of this marine tortoise was taken by a harpoon a few years 

 since at the mouth of the Housatonic, and the upper shell somewhat injured was 

 preserved and sent to me by Mr. Sidney Beardsley of this town. Length of shell 

 17 inches, width 15 inches. It perfectly agrees with a figure of the C. caretta in 

 " Catesby's History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands," and is very 

 unlike Dr. Holbrook's figures of either species; but not satisfied with a work of 

 1772, I forwarded it to Dr. Storer for the Boston Society of Natural History, and 

 " after comparing it with several specimens of different ages and different locali- 

 ties, I am satisfied," (writes Dr. S.) "it must be the mydas." This species is 

 very rare, but occasionally an individual is taken at Stonington and New London, 

 as well as Stratford. 



*2. Mr. Wm. G. Buell of Chatham in this state, informs me that " about ten 

 years since there was a tortoise taken in the Sound near New London, by two 

 men in a fishing smack. They first struck it with a harpoon in the fore part of the 

 shell, and though it made a gash 12 inches in length, it was so hard it turned 

 off, and they feared they had lost him ; but they had another good'throw of the 

 harpoon into the neck as he rose at the bow of the smack, and secured him. It 

 was afterwards exhibited in an ox cart, and thus conveyed about the country for 

 a show. Mr. B. thinks it would weigh from 500 to 700 pounds. Shell 4 to 5 

 feet long, and flippers 3 to 4 feet." I imagined it might have been the Leather 

 Tortoise, No. 3, and showed him the figure of it, but he was " sure it was not that 

 shape, but nearly round like our common speckled turtles." It had a rudder for 

 a tail about a foot long, shaped like a scow rudder, (i. e.) wide and flat perpen- 

 dicularly. His mouth was filled with little pipes like porcupine quills, and he 

 evidently lived by suction through these quills. He thinks it was not the shell 

 tortoise, Chelonia imbricata, Holbrook. I addressed a line of inquiry on the sub- 

 ject to a young friend in Stonington, (Mr. Trumbull,) and in reply he writes : 

 " Of the monstrous turtle taken in Long Island Sound about ten years since, I 

 have a faint recollection, as exhibited at a military review, at which I chanced 

 to be present, but did not see it, nor can I say any thing of it, or of its capture, 

 with certainty." This is all I can learn respecting it hitherto. It is inserted 

 here with earnest request that if it meets the eye of any person who can give a 

 just Jfccount of it, and of its specific name, &c. he will please do so for the benefit 

 of science. 



