164 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



and saw another tortoise lying in a hollow filled with water. He 

 remained there all night apparently, for on our return the next 

 morning he was still in it. These two observations rather tended 

 to disprove my theory regarding one of the causes of the annual 

 migration which affects nearly all the species of Galapagos tor- 

 toises. I had formed the opinion that the migration was partly 

 due to the slightly colder weather and heavy rains high up on 

 the mountains during the winter season, but it would seem from 

 the actions here cited that these causes have but little to do with 

 it after all. With this species (Testudo vicina), it might be the 

 mating instinct that causes them to wander down three or four 

 miles from their summer home. 



Love affairs were in full progress during our stay, and the 

 amorous exclamations of the males could be heard at a distance 

 exceeding 300 yards, even in the thick forest. Being told by 

 the natives that the largest tortoises were on the top of the 

 mountain we took a couple of burros and went up to secure the 

 largest specimen obtainable. The shell of the one selected is 

 shown in the photograph, on the back of a burro. It was nec- 

 essary to skin this animal, for the reason that even two burros 

 could not carry such a specimen alive. 



In a little valley, 10 miles from the ranch, and but a short 

 distance from the mountain's top, we found a number of big 

 fellows, considerably larger than any seen at the lower altitude 

 around the ranch. This valley was undoubtedly the home of the 

 patriarchs of the mountain, and a better spot for their develop- 

 ment could not be found. There were several deep ponds of 

 water, and judging by the number of cattle present, the grass 

 was of the sweetest. The absence of female tortoises at this 

 height was very noticeable, not over half a dozen being seen 

 out of probably 75 individuals observed. Whether the wild dogs, 

 which are so numerous and ferocious here, have eaten the fe- 

 males, or whether, as is not unlikely, they had gone lower down 

 on the mountain, we were not able to determine. We saw a num- 

 ber of skeletons of tortoises that the dogs had killed, and noticed 

 that, as a rule, the females being the smallest were the ones 

 to suffer. However, we saw a couple of males over three feet 

 long, showing that when hunger is keen enough even the large 

 ones are killed. The presence of these oldest and largest males 

 at this elevation during the rainy season would indicate that they 

 traveled but little, and after noting their surroundings we could 

 see no reason why they should ever journey more than a thou- 

 sand feet away from the water-holes. A constant abundance of 



