40 TESTUDINATA. CHELONIADiE. 



hamas, is by striking them with a sharp iron peg 

 or spear-heacl of two inches long, set in a socket 

 at the end of a staff twelve feet long. Two men 

 set out on this employment in a light canoe, one 

 to paddle noiselessly in the stern, while the other 

 stands watchful in the bow, ready to strike. As 

 soon as a Turtle is perceived, either swimming 

 at the surface with the back exposed, or else 

 crawling at the bottom in shoal water among 

 the thick sea grass, the spear is darted at it. 

 The sharp point enters the shell, and pierces the 

 body, but is dislodged from the staff in the act ; 

 a slender line, however, fastened to the peg, is in 

 the hand of the spearman, and though the Turtle 

 speeds away, the canoe is enabled to keep up 

 with him ; his strength is soon spent, and he is 

 hauled to the surface, and lifted into the boat. 



In some of the isles of the Pacific, where the 

 natives are almost as much at home in the sea 

 as the Turtles themselves, a peculiarly dexterous 

 method of capturing these animals is adopted. Two 

 or three men go out in a canoe in smooth water, 

 when the Turtles delight to sleep on the surface, 

 basking in the sun. No sooner is one discovered, 

 than the ready diver plunges into the sea, and 

 coming up silently behind the animal, suddenly 

 seizes the hinder edge of the carapace before it 

 awakes, and pressing down the posterior part of 

 the body in the water, obliges the fore parts to 

 remain upright. Thus the terrified Turtle, now 

 thoroughly awakened, is prevented from diving 

 until the canoe coming up, the bold fisherman and 

 his prey are both taken on board. 



Mr. Darwin, in his very interesting Journal, 

 describes a method of Turtle-catching not very 



