When visiting the South African Museum at Cape Town last October, Mr. Peringuey directed my attention to the carapace of a fine specimen of this Turtle, which had been captured alive on the 20th April, 1896, in Table Bay, on Woodstock Beach, in about two feet of water. It was presented to the Museum by my friend Mr. Casper Keytel, of Cape Town, who had it photographed while in the living condition, and who presented me with a copy of the photograph, which is here reproduced (Plate V.). Such photographs of rare living animals are, zoologically, most important, and prevent misconceptions too often consequent on illustrations taken from Museum specimens. Of this Turtle few really good illustrations are to be found; most of the popular ones—even those in the 'Boston Standard' and "Royal" Natural Histories—are taken from Brehm. Tickell took a drawing from life, but it is somewhat indifferent.
According to Dr. Günther the species is spread throughout almost all the seas of the tropical and temperate regions, having been found in the Mediterranean, on the South Coast of England, in the West Indies, at the Cape of Good Hope, on the coasts of the United States, in Chile, Japan, and the coast of British India.[1] It appears to be scarce on the Australian coasts. McCoy figures a specimen which he describes as "the only one I have known to have occurred on the shores of the colony."[2] Bell includes the species in his ' British Reptiles ' on the authority of Borlase and Pennant.[3] The late Prof. Agassiz, however,
