358 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



scraped clean of brush and leaves. The top is hard earth, but, 

 on digging down the earth gets softer, and a small hole is 

 found about seven or eight inches in diameter, and thirteen 

 inches deep. This is the nest proper and contains the eggs 

 buried in loose soil. Beck found one more set earlier in the 

 day. We brought both sets back to the ship, and shall try to 

 blow them. Shall also try to save those taken from the 

 female captured. Beck found part of the skull of a tortoise 

 he killed when here before. Also saw bones of one he killed 

 on that trip. We are going in tomorrow to try to get out 

 the two other tortoises. 



Oct. 26, 1905. — Went in after the tortoises found yester- 

 day. The big male had broken loose from the lashings, but 

 was only about twenty yards away. We started work skin- 

 ning at once ; the mate, Ochsner, King, and myself on the big 

 fellow, with Hunter and Williams on the smaller one. Beck 

 went around looking for more, but failed to find any. How- 

 ever, he reported having seen a fresh trail of a little one, 

 about seven or eight inches wide. At about half past three 

 we started down toward the coast with the tortoises, having re- 

 moved all the heavy meat from them, and arrived at the 

 vessel at about half past five. The eggs taken from the 

 female were left behind, as we had too much to carry. To- 

 morrow I suppose we shall clean out the tortoises ready for 

 pickle, and also skin the one brought down yesterday. 



Oct. 27, 1905. — Stayed on board all day skinning tortoises. 

 got the two females in pickle, and the big male nearly ready. 

 Beck went inland again, and found two more tortoises — one 

 a fair-sized female and one little tortoise about nine and one- 

 half inches long. King and Williams will go in for the large 

 one tomorrow. I hope tomorrow to get the large male into 

 pickle, and try to blow some eggs. 



Oct. 28, 1905. — Went ashore with Williams, and carried 

 out the other tortoise. King finished the large male and 

 blew the eggs. Got embryos out of the eggs from one of the 

 nests. Beck searched all day for tortoises, but failed to find 

 any, or any traces outside of the grounds where we found the 

 others. Will sail tomorrow for South Albemarle. 



Nov. 6, 1905. — Beck went ashore with Ochsner, Stewart, 

 and Williams, to cut or find a trail leading into the interior. 



