TURTLES ON THE BRAZILIAN COAST. 177 
(Testudo Caretta), partly on sea-grass, like the Green turtle 
(7. Midas), and only go on shore during the warmest months 
of the year, for the purpose of laying 
their eggs. 
“We followed the monotonous sea- 
coast,” says Prince Maximilian of 
Neuwied, in his interesting ‘ Tra- 
vels through the Brazils;” “our 
two soldiers, a Negro and an Indian, 
frequently stopping to dig turtle-eggs Loggerhead Turtle. 
out of the sand, which, boiled in sea- 
water, used to form our evening repast. Once, while they were 
busy gathering drift-wood for cooking, we found at a small 
distance from our fire an enormous turtle busy laying her eggs. 
We could not possibly have met with anything more agreeable ; 
the creature seemed to have crawled there for the express 
purpose of providing for our supper. Our presence did not 
discompose her in the least; she allowed herself to be touched, 
and even raised from the ground, for which purpose four men 
were required. During our loud deliberations on her future 
fate, she gave no other sign of uneasiness than a blowing sound, 
and continued to work slowly with her hind fins, throwing up 
the earth at regular intervals. 
One of the soldiers stretched himself out at full length on the 
ground near the purveyor of our kitchen, inserted his arm into the 
earth-hole, and threw out the eggs as they were laid by the 
turtle. In this manner above a hundred were collected in about 
ten minutes. A council was now held as to the means of adding 
the beast to our collection, but as it would have required an 
additional mule for the transport, we gave it its life. These 
colossal turtles—Midas, Coriacea, and Caretta—especially choose 
these desert coasts for the laying of their eggs. They emerge 
from the sea in the dusk of evening, and then crawl back again 
into the water one or two hours after the setting of the sun. 
Thus also the friendly turtle, which had so abundantly provided 
for our wants, disappeared after a short time; we found the large 
hole filled up, and a. broad trace in the sand showed that the 
animal had again retreated to its favourite element. The Midas 
is said to lay from ten to twelve dozen, and the Coriacea from 
eighteen to twenty dozen eggs at once.” 
