376 AUDUBON 



of dropping her eggs, she will not move, although one 

 should go up to her, or even seat himself on her back, 

 for it seems that at this moment she finds it necessary to 

 proceed at all events, and is unable to intermit her labor. 

 The moment it is finished, however, off she starts; nor 

 would it then be possible for one, unless he were as strong 

 as a Hercules, to turn her over and secure her. 



To upset a Turtle on the shore, one is obliged to fall on 

 his knees, and placing his shoulder behind her fore-arm, 

 gradually raise her up by pushing with great force, and 

 then with a jerk throw her over. Sometimes it requires 

 the united strength of several men to accomplish this ; 

 and, if the Turtle should be of very great size, as often 

 happens on that coast, even handspikes are employed. 

 Some turtlers are so daring as to swim up to them while 

 lying asleep on the surface of the water, and turn them 

 over in their own element, when, however, a boat must be 

 at hand, to enable them to secure their prize. Few 

 Turtles can bite beyond the reach of their fore-legs, and 

 few, when once turned over, can, without assistance, regain 

 their natural position ; but, notwithstanding this, their 

 flippers are generally secured by ropes so as to render 

 their escape impossible. 



Persons who search for Turtles' eggs, are provided with 

 a light stiff cane or a gun-rod, with which they go along the 

 shores probing the sand near the tracks of the animals, 

 which, however, cannot always be seen, on account of the 

 winds and heavy rains that often obliterate them. The 

 nests are discovered not only by men, but also by beasts of 

 prey, and the eggs are collected, or destroyed on the spot, 

 in great numbers, as on certain parts of the shores hun- 

 dreds of Turtles are known to deposit their eggs within the 

 space of a mile. They form a new hole each time they lay, 

 and the second is generally dug near the first, as if the 

 animal were quite unconscious of what had befallen it. It 

 will readily be understood that the numerous eggs seen 



