TURTLES. 19.3 



appearance, passing through all the colours of a heated 

 iron bar, from the red to the white heat, and returning 

 through the same changes to its primitive colour. It is 

 several inches in length and of tolerable thickness, and is 

 found very abundantly in particular parts of the Atlantic. 

 The NAIS PROBOSCIDEA, or LONG SNOUTED NAIS, is about 

 half an inch in length ; it is furnished with a long tapering 

 snout, and thorn-like processes on each side its body. 

 This animal, like many of the smaller vermes, possesses a 

 wonderful power of reproduction ; if cut or broken, each 

 part will revive, and reproduce the defective organs. 



THE GREEN TURTLE 



Obtains its name from the colour which its fat presents 

 when in a slate of perfection. It is one of the largest of 

 the genus, being often above five feet in length, and of the 

 weight of five or six hundred pounds. Its shell is some- 

 what of a heart-shaped form, and of a dull brown colour, 

 varied with deeper undulations ; its flesh is very much 

 esteemed ; indeed, by many it is considered as the greatest 

 luxury in animal food. It is very common in the West 

 India islands, where it is much eaten. The green turtles 

 crawl on shore to lay their eggs in a deep sand hole of 

 their own digging. So intent is the female upon the 

 laying her eggs, that a hat may be held to catch them, 

 without her being at all aware of it; if, however, she is 

 disturbed in her preparations, she will abandon the spot 

 she had chosen, and seek for another. She lays her eggs 

 at three or four different times, and finally covers them up 

 with sand ; their usual number is fourteen. The heat of 

 the sun hatches them in about three weeks, and the young 

 ones immediately crawl into the sea. The eggs are about 

 the size of tennis balls, round, white, and covered with a 

 skin like parchment : they are good eating. 



THE LOGGERHEAD 



Is the largest of all the turtles excepting the coriaceous. 

 Its shell resembles that of the green turtle, but the colours 

 are stronger and more defined. It is a fierce and even 



