3 l6 ELEMENTARY ZOOLOGY 



When grazing the turtles eat only the roots, the tops thus 

 rising to the surface, where they indicate to the turtler the 

 animal's whereabouts. The turtler, armed with a strong 

 steel barb attached to a rope and loosely fitted to the end 

 of a pole, carefully rows up to the unsuspecting animal, 

 and with a strong thrust plunges the barb through its 

 shell, withdraws the pole, and, grasping the rope, now 

 firmly attached to the turtle's back, lifts the animal to the 

 surface. Here, with assistance, he turns it into the boat, 

 where it is rendered helpless by being thrown on its back 

 and by having its flippers tied. These turtles are also 

 caught on their breeding-gounds, being found on the sand 

 at night by the turtler, turned over on their backs, and 

 left thus securely caught until assistance comes to help 

 get them into the boats. 



Snakes and lizards (Squamata). TECHNICAL NOTE. A 



snake has already been dissected and studied. It will be instructive 

 to compare the external structures, at least, of a lizard with that o. 

 the snake. Specimens of some species of the common swift (Scelo- 

 porus] are obtainable almost anywhere in the United States. The 

 " pine-lizards " of the east belong to this genus. Lizards may be 

 sought for in woods, along fences, and especially on warm rocks. 



FIG. 125. The blue-tailed skink, Eumeces skcltonianus. (From living 



specimen.) 



The group of lizards is a very large one, about 1,500 

 species being known, but it is represented in the United 

 States by comparatively few species. Lizards are espe- 

 cially abundant in the tropics of South America. The 

 strange and fantastic appearance presented by some of 

 them has made certain species the object of much interest 



