510 HABITS OF DOLABELLA. 



island of Basilan a dark-brown species of Conohelix, 

 which conceals itself also in the soft mud, several inches 

 below the surface, among the roots of the Rhizophora 

 Mangle above high- water mark. 



Man is not the only animal which has wandered by 

 chance or inclination from the old to the new world. The 

 great black Indian Tortoise, originally a native of Mada- 

 gascar and the Mauritius, is identical with that species 

 whose habits have been so admirably alluded to by Mr. 

 Charles Darwin, who describes it as inhabiting the low 

 islands of the Galapagos Archipelago. It is likewise 

 found in California, and I believe has been met with in 

 other parts of the west coast of South America. A 

 gigantic specimen of this Tortoise made a voyage to 

 England in the 'Samarang/ but unfortunately died 

 shortly after its arrival, in consequence, probably, of 

 injuries received during a gale in the Bay of Biscay. 



The Dolabettts seem to love the still and rather shallow 

 water of creeks near the sea, where they congregate under 

 large stones, and in deeper water remain fixed by their 

 ventral disks to the surfaces and sides of submerged 

 rocks, in a collapsed and motionless state. They prefer 

 a gravelly or stony bottom, and at the rising of the tide I 

 have seen them crawl pretty briskly towards the shore, 

 when they proceed to the small shallow pools to feed upon 

 the sea- weed that abounds there. Having instructed the 

 boat's crew where to find the animal, and its appearance, 

 they waded up to their waists and soon returned with 

 considerable numbers of very large specimens which were 

 all deposited in a pool together, so that I had ample op- 

 oportunities of drawing and observing them. 



