TURTLES. 4.S 



tomecl to it are startled, and so are apt to remove 

 to another place, although unseen by her. Should 

 she hear any more noise, or perceive any indica- 

 tions of danger, she instantly sinks and goes off 

 to a considerable distance ; but should every- 

 thing be quiet, she advances slowly towards the 

 beach, crawls over it, her head raised to the full 

 stretch of her neck, and when she has reached a 

 place fitted for her purpose, she gazes all round 

 in silence. Finding all well, she proceeds to 

 form a hole in the sand, which she effects by 

 removing it from under her body with her hind 

 flappers, scooping it out with so much dexterity 

 that the sides seldom if ever fall in. The sand 

 is raised alternately with each flapper, as with a ■ 

 large ladle, until it has accumulated behind her, 

 when supporting herself with her head and fore- 

 part on the ground, she, with a spring from each 

 flapper, sends the sand around her, scattering it 

 to the distance of several feet. In this manner 

 the hole is dug to the depth of eighteen inches, 

 or sometimes more than two feet. This labour 

 I have seen performed in the short period of nine 

 minutes. The eggs are then dropped o^ie by one, 

 and disposed in regular layers, to the number 

 of one hundred and fifty, or sometimes nearly 

 two hundi'ed. The whole time spent in this 

 operation may be about twenty minutes. She 

 now scrapes the loose sand back over the eggs, 

 and so levels and smooths the surface, that few 

 persons seeing the spot would imagine that any- 

 thing had been done to it. This accomplished 

 to her mind, she retreats to the water with all 

 possible dispatch, leaving the hatching of the eggs 

 to the heat of the sand. When a Turtle, a 



