Object Status:
Unlocated
Accession Date:
January 29, 1824
Primary Source Reference:
Peale Museum Accessions Book, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, p. 124
Additional Source Text:
"In the U.S. Ship Franklin by Com[mmodor]e Stewart and presented [by] John McCauley."
"Measurement of the Galipagos Turtle
Length around the Shell transversly -- 30-1/2 Inches
[Length] Longitudinally around the Shell -- 37 Inches
[Length] around the Fore Leg -- 6-1/2 Inches
[Length] around the Hind Leg -- smallest part -- 4-1/4 Inches
Length of the under Shell along the line -- 12 Inches"
Notes:
Some data in this entry was entered on Accessions Book p. 126 (26 May 1825).
The Galápagos tortoise, or Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra, comprising fifteen subspecies) is the largest living species of tortoise.
Charles Stewart (1778-1869) was an officer in the U.S. Navy who commanded a number of US Navy ships, including USS Constitution. At the time of this deposit he had recently concluded his command of the Pacific squadron on his flagship USS Franklin.
John McCauley was a Philadelphia merchant and owner of the brig Aurora, which was captured by the French in 1797 and condemned in St. Domingue.
Specimen Type:
Live (presumably eventually taxidermied/preserved)
Current Common Name:
Galápagos tortoise
Current Scientific Name
Chelonoidis niger complex
