LAND TORTOISES. 15 



be distinguished from the female by the greater 

 length of its tail. The Tortoises which live on 

 those islands where there is no water, or in the 

 lower and arid parts of the others, chiefly feed 

 on the succulent cactus. Those which frequent 

 the higher and damper regions eat the leaves of 

 various trees, a kind of berry (called guayavita), 

 which is acid and austere, and likewise a pale 

 green filamentous lichen, that hangs in tresses 

 from the boughs of the trees. The Tortoise is 

 very fond of water, drinking large quantities, and 

 wallowing in the mud. The larger islands alone 

 possess springs, and these are always situated to- 

 wards the central parts, and at a considerable ele- 

 vation. The Tortoises therefore, which frequent 

 the lower districts, when thirsty, are obliged to 

 travel from a long distance. Hence, broad and 

 well-beaten paths radiate off in every direction 

 from the wells even down to the sea-coast ; and the 

 Spaniards, by following them up, first discovered 

 the watering places. When I landed at Chatham 

 Island, I could not imagine what animal travelled 

 so methodically along the well-chosen tracts. 

 Near the springs it was a curious spectacle to 

 behold many of these great monsters ; one set 

 eagerly travelling onwards with outstretched 

 necks, and another set returning, after having 

 drunk their fill. When the Tortoise arrives at 

 the spring, quite regardless of any spectator, it 

 buries its head in the water, above its eyes, and 

 greedily swallows great mouthfuls, at the rate of 

 about ten in a minute. The inhabitants say that 

 each animal stays three or four days in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the water, and then returns to the 

 lower country ; but they differed in their accounts 



