156 



LIVING CREATURES. 



"On first nearing the shore, and mostly on fine, calm 

 moonlight nights, the turtle raises her head above the 

 water, looks around her, and attentively examines the 

 objects on the shore. Should she see nothing likely to 

 disturb her intended operations, she gives a loud hiss- 



Green-turtle. 



ing sound by which her enemies are startled and driven 

 away. She advances slowly toward the beach, crawls 

 over it, her head raised to the full length of her neck, 

 and when she reaches a suitable place, she gazes all 

 around in silence. 



"Then she proceeds to make a hole in the sand with 

 her hind flippers. The sand is raised with one flipper 

 and then with the other, as with a ladle, until it is 

 piled up behind her. In this manner the hole is dug 

 to the depth of two feet. This labor I have seen per- 

 formed in the short space of nine minutes. 



