CORIACEOUS TORTOISE. Class lit 



coaft of DorfetJJjire, and depofited in the Leverian 

 Mu/eum. 



The length of the body Is four feet ten inches ; 

 of the head nine inches and a haif^ of the neck 

 three; or of the whole five feet twelve. The 

 upper jaw bifurcated at the end : the extremity 

 of the lower fharp, clafping into the fork of the up- 

 per. The noftrils fmall and round. 



The breadth of the body in the largefl: part is 

 three feet. The lensith of the fore iins two feet 

 feven : of the hind thirteen inches and a half: are 

 fmooth, grow pointed to the extremity, and are 

 deftitute of toes. Thele fins are (luited : perhaps 

 the bones might have been taken out ; for in the 

 figure given by Rondektius, which agrees in all 

 other refpefts with this fpecies, there is appearance 

 of toes, and even nails. 



The body is covered with a ftrong hide, ex- 

 actly refembling black leather, deflitute of fcales, 

 but marked with the appearance. The back is di- 

 vided into five longitudinal flutings or grooves, 

 with as many fharp but fmooth rifings. 



This fpecies is faid to be extremely fat : but the 

 Refh coarfe and bad *, according to the report made 

 by writers who had opportunity of tafting them in 

 the Mediterranean fea. I am informed that the 

 Carthufians will eat no other than this fpecies. 



* RondeUtius, BoJJuet. 



Body 



