138 The Natural Historg 



a Skin and not a Shell) are extraordinary good Food and 

 nourish very much, yet none of these sorts of Creatures Eggs 

 will admit in boiling the White to be harder than a Jelly, 

 notwithstanding the Yolk with boiling becomes as hard as 

 any other Egg. They make Holes in the dry Sandy-Land, 

 and on the River sides, where they lay above an hundred 

 Eggs in the Season as large as Pullet's, afterwards they cover 

 them carefully with Mould, which they beat hard and smooth 

 with their Breasts, where they remain till they are Hatched, 

 and they lay Eggs two or three times a Year, which causeth 

 a prodigious Increase. The common way of taking these 

 Turtles is, to turn them on their Backs, in which Posture 

 they cannot dive under the Water, so that those that Fish 

 for them tye a Rope about them, and hawl them into their 

 Boats, or tow them to Land, and it is reported, that they will 

 shed Tears when they are taken ; and though they have large 

 Lungs within their Scales, yet according to Pliny, they are 

 without Blood. They are commonly found floating upon the 

 Water, and sometimes fast asleep, at which time they will 

 snort very loud. They have neither Tongue nor Teeth, but 

 a very sharp Bill, which serves them instead of Teeth; they 

 feed on Cockles, Muscles, and other Sea-shel Fish, for their 

 Bills are so hard and strong that they will readily break 

 those Fishes and eat them. 



The Terehins, whereof there are divers sorts, which I 

 shall comprehend under the distinction of Land and Water 

 Terehins. 



The Land Terehins are of several Sizes, but generally 

 round mouthed, and not Haivhs-hill, as some of the other 

 sorts are, they are exactly in shape like the Turtles, and 

 move very slowly, and if any thing touches them, tliey 

 readily flrnw their Head and Feet within their Shells; (beinj>- 



s})ockled 



