EGGS OF WATER TORTOISES 197 



reptiles like to get well away from the water's edge before 

 they begin to dig the nest in which the eggs are to be 

 deposited, so that the men are able to rush out and 

 intercept them. The jaguar employs exactly the same 

 method when hunting the water tortoise and other turtles. 

 The Indians on several occasions called my attention to 

 the fresh footprints on the sand of this beast of prey, and 

 once we came across the remains of a tortoise torn open 

 and devoured only a few hours before our arrival. Con- 

 sidering how" strongly joined together are the carapace 

 and plastron of the tortoise, some idea may be formed 

 of the strength required to tear them asunder, a feat the 

 jaguar performs apparently with ease. The Terecay is a 

 ferocious brute, snapping viciously at anything that comes 

 in its way. This habit, joined to the distinctly snake-like 

 appearance of its head, gives the creature a fierce repulsive 

 aspect. Its flesh is however excellent, and I was always 

 glad to have stewed Terecay for dinner. In all the 

 Indian houses the carapaces of water tortoises and turtles 

 are used as utensils for keeping various articles of food. 



In hunting for eggs on the sandbanks the Indians are 

 marvellously expert. I have often seen them stand up in 

 the boat and point out spots M'here eggs were likely to be 

 found. They rarely made mistakes. We obtained large 

 quantities of eggs all the way as far as Para. Many of 

 them were in the embryo state, some being far advanced, 

 but this made no difference to the men, who ate every 

 egg they found in a nest, whether fresh or not. There 

 are times when the eggs of the Terecay are quite bitter. 

 This is due, the Indians told me, to the tortoise feeding 

 on a certain berry having an intensely bitter taste. The 

 eggs are like a pigeon's in size and shape. As they get 

 spoilt in two or three days, the Indians boil them for a 



