( 2o6 ) 
The Sea-Tortoise. 
T H E Sea-Tortoife is commonly call’d by our Sea-Captains Turtle , of which 
there are three Sorts generally known and eaten by Europeans , tho not all 
efteemed equally good. The green Turtle is efteemed the bed Food, the Hawk- 
billed the next in Go odnefs, the Loggerhead the word of the three Sorts, and fel- 
dom eaten. All thefe Sorts grow to a very large Size. The Subjects here figur’d on 
the Plate are of their natural Bignefs, juft when they break forth from the Egg: The 
upper Figure is in its natural State 5 the middle Figure reprefents the Head Sideways j 
the lower Figure is of one that happened to be a Monfter, having two Heads. 
The Nofe is (harp-pointed, juft above which the Noftri s are placed near togetner, and 
feem to rife a little from the Head : The Mouth is flit beyond the Eyes ; the under Chap has 
a Hook or Tooth at its End, which is received into the Upper when the Mouth is fhut. See 
the Figure of the Head Sideways. The Head is cover’d with Scales, of a dufky or biackifh. 
Colour on the Crown, and a little fpotted with Dufky on a Cream-Colour under the Eyes \ 
the Neck is cover’d with a loofe pliable Skin of a purplifh Flefh -Colour *, the Legs near the Body, 
the Tail, and all the Parts on the under Side (which are not hid by the Shell) are aifo co- 
ver’d with a Skin of the fame Colour. See the lower Figure, The Shell on the upper Side 
hath thirteen principal large Scales or Parts, which are encompaffed by twenty-five final! 
ones, that on the outer Circumference are toothed, or like the Edge of a Saw, as both fi- 
gures exprefs : They are all of a dark or biackifh brown Colour, except the Edges of the leller 
Scales on their outer Sides, which are Yellow : The Side Scales on the Back have each of them 
a Rifing in its Middle : The under Side hath a Sort of Breaft- Plate of Shell, a little hollow in 
the Middle, which is joined to the Sides by other Scales or Parts of the Shell * the whole Shell 
beneath is of a reddifh-yellow Colour *, the dark Spot in the Shield is the Navel ; the Scales 
are fo exactly divided in the Figures, which were wrote on the Hate direCtly fiom Nature, 
that they need not be enumerated. The Feet (which have Toes and Nails in the Land-Tor- 
toife) are fiat and broad in this, and may rather be called Fins ■, tho if they aie ftriCtly exa- 
mined, they have the Bones of the Toes running through them, but they are fixed and extend- 
ed with a fcaly Skin, fo as rot to be fpread wider, or contracted ; they are coveied above and 
beneath with Scales Dufky or Biackifh on their upper Sides, except a little Yellow round 
their Borders ; on their under Sides they are more Yellow, being only clouded with a dufky 
Colour at their Ends, On each Foot one of the Toes feems to be a little detached, with a 
fm all Claw on it. It hath a fmatl Tail extending juft beyond the Shell. The Shells both of the 
Land and Water-Kind are fixed on a very ftrong bony Subftance, and will part from it by 
putting Fire under the Hollow of the bony Covering when it is taken off. It has a remai li- 
able Wart on the Infide of each of the forward Fins about the Joint, 
Thefe are in the Collection of Dr. Mead, Phyfician in Ordinary to the King, I take the 
Subjedt before us to be the Hawk- Bill Turtle, from the Sharpnefs of its Beak, but cannot be 
certain, I not having feen the fever al Sorts to make the proper DiftinChon. Sir Hans Vcane has 
given us the Manner of taking Turtle, and their Ufe in the Weft- Indies ; but their Figures and 
particular Defcriptions are omitted. See his Hiftory of Jamaica, Vol II P. 33,1, 332 Mr. 
Catcjby has figur’d the three Sorts above-mentioned. See his Natural Hiftory oj Carolina , 
Yol, II. P. 38, 39, 40. but as none of his are any Thing like mine, I cannot determine its 
particular Species from him. ^ 
O 
