ORDER CHELONIA. 95 



or, perhaps, from some fancied resemblance in the ribs or 

 prominences on the back of the shell to the strings of a 

 harp. 



Pennant reports the coriaceous tortoise to be extremely fat, 

 but the flesh coarse and bad. The Carthusian friars, how- 

 ever, will eat of no other species. The small sea-tortoise 

 described by Pennant seems to be the young of this animal. 



The testudo Jimhriata is a fresh- water tortoise apparently, 

 and is said to have been once common in the rivers of the isle 

 of Cayenne. It has grown rare, however, from having been 

 much sought after, in consequence of the estimation in which 

 its flesh was held. It lives on aquatic herbage, and is said to 

 remove by night from its watery habitat in quest of pasture. 

 M. Bruguiere had a specimen in his possession which lived 

 for some time on herbs, bread, &c. It layed five or six eggs, 

 one of which produced a young tortoise in the box in which 

 it was kept. 



In the Trtonyx, called also soft tortoises, the ribs do not 

 reach the edges of the carapace. The bones analogous to the 

 sternal ribs are replaced by a simple cartilage. The sternal 

 pieces of the breast- plate, too, do not fill the entire lower face 

 of the body. They are easily distinguished from all the other 

 tortoises. 



The Trionyx ^gyptiacus, Groof., Test, triunguis, Gm., 

 has the carapace oval, almost orbicular, carinated along the 

 back, without scaly plates or emargination, coriaceous, stri- 

 ated, rough to the touch, convex, more flattened and rugous 

 in front, widened and smoother behind. The breast-plate is 

 flat, smooth, whitish, without scales or emarginations, and in 

 a great measure cartilaginous. The head is smooth, de- 

 pressed, and small. The feet short, and palmate. 



This tortoise sometimes grows to three feet in length ; and 

 is green, spotted with white. It inhabits the Nile, and 

 devours the little crocodiles at the moment in which they 



