92 DERMATOCHELYS CORIACEA, 



turn their head sidewise or move it up or down, so that 

 we were perfectly safe from his vicious snaps wliile secur- 

 ing his flippers. 



This turtle lived two and one-half days in captivity, and 

 on the twenty-eightli of August was purchased by the 

 Peabody Academy of Science. Before his preparation 

 for the Museum I made a partial examination of his in- 

 ternal structure. Each lobe of the brain measured eleven 

 and one-half inches in longitudinal circumference and 

 nine and three-quarters inches transversely ; the whole 

 brain weighed seventeen ounces. From its close convo- 

 lutions and weight I considered that it would be a high 

 Order of development. This is unlike other species of 

 turtles, as they are all described as having a small brain 

 and of a lower order of development. The base of the 

 tongue, roof of the mouth and the whole inside ef the 

 digestive canal was lined with a series of long, sharp, 

 pointed spines. In the mouth, throat and Oesophagus 

 they were of a hard, horny substance throughout. In 

 the stomach cavity these spines were one-third of an inch 

 in diameter and two and one-half inches long, of a carti- 

 laginous nature with hard, sharp poiuts, all of which 

 pointed downwards. The entire digestive canal with its 

 lining of spines has been preserved for future study. 

 The widest part was eight inches across and four feet six 

 inches long. Before this canal was cut open it was quite 

 rigid, being completely filled with these spines which 

 would seem to prevent anything of a large size from be- 

 ing swallowed, and as the turtles have no teeth they are 

 obliged to swallovv their food whole or in such parts as 

 they can bite off with their beak-like jaws. To whatever 

 use in the digestive economy these spines are adapted I 

 shall not attempt to consider, but they led Mr. Garman 

 to remark that it was an excellent provision for rapid 



