| OCR Text |
Show 224 DR. J. E. GRAY ON T H E TORTOISES. [Mar. 11, ** The alveolar surface of the upper jaw with two arched ridges, the inner one near the inner margin, the outer near the outer margin, and interrupted by a deep pit in front. Lower one strongly toothed on the edge, with a subcentral ridge, with a large conical prominence in the middle, and a deep pit on each side in front of it. Algivorous. 2. CHELONIA. 3. MYDAS. Chelonia ft, Gray, Cat. Shield Rept. p. 75. Fam. II. SPHARGIDIDAE. Sphargididee, Gray, Ann. Phil. 1825, x. p. 212. The thorax covered with a continuous soft skin. Nose blunt and broad ; nostrils on the upper surface of the nose. Upper jaw with a deep notch on each side. Eyes very large. Skull oblong; crown swollen, subgiobose behind. Orbits very large. Nose-cavity superior, carried up by the elongated erect intermaxillarv bone. Maxillary bone with a deep notch in the front of the lower'edge, near the intermaxillary. Lower jaw produced, acute, bent up in front. Dermatochelydce, Fitzinger; Wagler, Amph. p. 20, t. 1. f. 1. Sphargiidee, Agassiz, Contrib. SPHARGIS, Merrem=Coriudo, Fleming; Sytina, Wagler; Dcr-matochelys, Fitzinger. Fig. 20. Sphargis mercurialis. Mr. E. Gerrard has prepared a beautiful skeleton of a very young specimen of this genus, about 4 inches long. It is a most curious preparation, with its odd-shaped head with very large nasal cavities and orbits, extremely large fore fins with extremely slender fingers, |
