36 



CHELONIA CARETTA. 



Strong, and is more or less hooked or turned upwards in front. Tlic nctk is 

 short, very thick and strong, and covered with a granulated skin and minute 

 flexible plates both above and below. 



The anterior extremities are long and powerful, rounded at the shoulder, 

 covered with a tough skin and with a few scattered minute flexible plates, 

 depressed and flattened like a fin at the fore-arm, carpus and fingers, and covered 

 with large square pentagonal plates. A remarkable range of these exists along 

 the anterior border; while the posterior margin is bordered Avith a loose fold of 

 skin capable of distention, in which are placed here and there large plates; in 

 front there are two spines or nails, corresponding with the two first fingers, and 

 of these the first is largest and often hooked. These nails vary in extent; some- 

 times they are more than an inch long. The posterior extremities are much 

 shorter, rounded above, covered in like manner, and only become flattened like a 

 paddle toward the tarsus and toes, where alone are found large plates. The 

 posterior extremity is also armed with two spines; but these are smaller, shorter 

 and near together. The tail is short, thick, and conical. 



Colour. The plates of the head are yellowish-chestnut or olive-brown in then- 

 centre, but have their margins so yellow as to give a strong tinge to the whole; 

 the jaws are yellowish horn-colour. The plates of the shell are light brown, 

 var)nng in degree, and have sometimes a tinge of olive, and are often bordered 

 with a dirty yellowish tinge; the marginal have it more distinctly, which gives to 

 the whole shell a strong shade of yellow; the yoimg are at times coloured not 

 unhke the Green Turtle; in very old animals the whole shell becomes dusky olive, 

 as seen in the accompanying figure, and the shell is covered with various 

 parasitic animals, as Serpulae, Balani, and other multivalve shells, &c.; the upper 

 surface of the extremities, and tail is dusky along their centre, but yellow on the 

 borders; the inferior surface of the whole animal is yellow, more or less clouded. 



Dimensions. Length of head, I25 inches; breadth of head, 10 inches; length of 

 shell, 3 feet 6 inches; breadth of shell, 34 inches; length of sternum, 28 inches. 



