HINTERLAND NOTES 469 



rains of 1915. They would seem to measure about two feet 

 across the wings. They were feeding, not upon fruit, but 

 were catching insects. These large creatures reminded one 

 of the frugivorous flying-foxes, which one so often saw in 

 Burma. 



REPTILES 



The Indians gave me the following names of distinct 

 species of turtle, to be found in the Rapo-nunni; warara, 

 matamata, traekatha, pitur'a. Tortoises, or land-turtles, of 

 which names were given to me, are : wathamuri, kaika, mur- 

 ru, kapachi and one forgotten. 



The warara, which measures five feet in length, requires 

 that a man shall be skilled and strong if he desire to turn 

 it. An Indian who brought in one of this size suffered a 

 severe scratching, from the sharp nails, and sustained a rup- 

 ture. Between January and April turtles' eggs may be 

 found, by the score, in exposed sand-banks. A lay may be 

 discovered by following the turtle's track, easily distinguish- 

 able from a boat, and scooping the sand for a depth of eight 

 inches. Should rain have obliterated the track, eggs may be 

 found by probing where a suspicious indentation of the sand 

 appears. The egg-shells, being of parchment texture, are 

 not easily broken. A smaller turtle, tarekatha, may some- 

 times be seen by the fifty, or the hundred, together. I count- 

 ed over fifty emerging from Parishara Pond. Their necks 

 were craned, to enable them to eye the passing monster (our 

 boat), and their whitish throats gave the appearance of a 

 strew of lily-buds, upon the placid surface of the water. 

 Moonlight nights are suitable occasions for watching turtles 

 come forth, to lay. They always return upon the same track, 

 leaving only one mark for the double journey from and to 

 the water. They are able to manage this, because they ro- 

 tate, when digging the hole for the eggs. It is observable that 

 the bodies of the tortoises are not so flattened as those of the 

 turtle. Tortoises may be found in the Uruata Forest. I 



