54 REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS 



famous " turtle soup " is obtained. The heart-shaped 

 shell is smooth, polished, and slightly notched and serrated 

 behind. The head is large, somewhat compressed at the 

 sides. The jaws are provided with very much serrated 

 cutting edges at the sides, the lower being hooked in 

 front. The shell attains a length of about four feet, such 

 specimens weighing about four hundred pounds. Although 

 fairly abundant in all the tropical seas, the great bulk of 

 those received in this country are obtained from the 

 West Indies. 



The eggs are deposited on the sandy shores of unin- 

 habited islands. Before embarking on her parental duties, 

 the female makes a thorough inspection of the beach where 

 she has the intention of laying. Satisfied that the situation 

 is appropriate, she digs a hole, nearly three feet deep, with 

 her flippers, and therein deposits some two hundred eggs. 

 These holes are then covered over with sand and levelled 

 down by means of the flippers, in such a manner that 

 it is only with the greatest difficulty that their place of 

 concealment can be discovered. The whole operation of 

 digging, laying, and filling up lasts about a couple of hours, 

 when the turtle once more returns to the sea, leaving the 

 eggs to be hatched by the heat of the sun. After a few 

 weeks the young turtles break through their egg-shells, 

 lift up the sand, and, without the slightest hesitation, make 

 straight for the sea. Although man is perhaps their chief 

 enemy, enormous quantities of young turtles are devoured 

 by large fish, and only a very small percentage reach 

 maturity. 



The food of the Green Turtle consists almost entirely 

 of fish and marine plants. 



