258 DENIZENS OF THE DESERT 



neither luckless strays from some water-hole 

 nor wayfaring turtles homeward bound to the 

 ocean after a race with the desert hares; for in 

 those days Agassiz tortoises were plentiful all 

 over both the Colorado and Mohave Deserts 

 and in southern Nevada. 



Generally these tortoises are found on the 

 flat plots of ground of the high rocky mesas 

 where a fair abundance of succulent, growing 

 herbs assures them of an abundant food supply, 

 at least during the spring season. During April 

 and May, when both days and nights are balmy 

 and warm, they are out feeding at all hours. 

 Often when traveling at night I have seen them 

 by aid of the brilliant moonlight. As soon as the 

 real blistering days of summer come, not a tor- 

 toise can be seen by day. No animals except a 

 few of the insects and lizards can stand the 

 intense heat radiated then from the glaring 

 rocks and sands and soda flats. At a point near 

 Amboy on the Mohave Desert the temperature 

 has been known to be as high as 136 F. in the 

 shade at midday, falling to only 114 F. by two 

 o'clock the morning following. A special ther- 

 mometer placed in the open sun recorded a 



