. Natural history. Zoology. TORTOISES AND TURTLES. 391 be completely retracted within tho shell, and the tail is very short. The whole of the hinder region of tlie skull is covered by a bony roof. There is no bony union between the upper and lower sliells ; and in the carapace numerous unossilied spaces remain for a long time, if not permanently. Except during the breeding season, when the females resort to shelving sandy shores for the purpose of laying tlieir eggs, turtles aie inhabitants ot the open sea, where in calm weather tlicy may at times be seen floating placidly on the surface. When
. Natural history. Zoology. TORTOISES AND TURTLES. 391 be completely retracted within tho shell, and the tail is very short. The whole of the hinder region of tlie skull is covered by a bony roof. There is no bony union between the upper and lower sliells ; and in the carapace numerous unossilied spaces remain for a long time, if not permanently. Except during the breeding season, when the females resort to shelving sandy shores for the purpose of laying tlieir eggs, turtles aie inhabitants ot the open sea, where in calm weather tlicy may at times be seen floating placidly on the surface. When on shore, they shuffle along in an awkward manner ; and if turned on their backs are utterly helpless. Their eggs, unlike those of other Chelonians, have soft shells. Like most denizens of the open sea, the three common species of turtles have an almost world-wide distribution. Of these, tho green turtle (Chdone mydas) is the one whose flesh is used for culinary purposes. Nearly allied is the hawksbill (C. imbricata), distinguished at all ages by the strongly hooked beak, and also by the cir- cumstance that, for a considerable portion of life the horny shields of the shell overlap one another like the slates in a roof, instead of meeting at the edges. It is this species alone that yields the tortoise-shell of oonmaerce. More distinct is the logger- head (Thalassochehis caretta), in which the head is of pro- portionately greater size, and there are five, instead of four, pairs of homy costal shields on the carapace. The logger- head is the largest of the three. j,^^ Tokioise It is somewhat remarkable that (Thalassochetys caretta). whereas the green turtle is an herbivorous animal, feeding chiefly upon sea-weeds, both the hawksbill and the loggerhead are carnivorous; the food of the latter consisting largely of cuttle-fish. During the egging'-season turtles come ashore in immense numbers, the Seychelles and Bahamas being two of their favourite resorts. While the fe
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