BOOK IX.] History of Nature. 1 2 1 



of a single one of them. And among the Islands, principally 

 in the Red Sea, they use them for Boats. 



Many Ways the Fishermen have to catch them ; but 

 especially as in the Mornings, when the Weather is still, 

 they float on the open Sea with their Backs high above the 

 calm Surface; and then the Pleasure of breathing freely so 

 entirely deceives them into Forgetful ness, that their Crust 

 becomes dried with the Sun's Heat, and they cannot dive, 

 but are forced againt their Wills to float, and so are exposed 

 as a Prize to those that hunt them. Some say that they go 

 out in the oNight to feed; arid with eating greedily, grow 

 weary ; so that in the Morning, when they are returning 

 again, they fall asleep on the Surface of the Water ; and then 

 they utter such a Snoring as to be easily taken. But three 

 Men must swim to every one of them : two of them to turn 

 him upon his Back, and the third to throw a Cord about 

 him as he lieth with his Belly upward ; and then is he 

 hauled by many to the Land. In the Phoenician Sea they 

 are taken with very little Difficulty; for at a certain Time 

 of the Year they resort of themselves, in great Multitudes, to 

 the River Eleutherus. 



The Tortoise hath no Teeth, but the Borders of his Snout 

 are sharp ; the upper part shutting close upon the under, 

 like a Box. In the Sea they live on Shellfish, for their 

 Mouths are so hard that they crush Stones. They go to 

 Land, where, among the Herbage, they lay Eggs resembling 

 the Eggs of Birds, to the number of a hundred. They hide 

 them in the Ground at some Distance from the Water, cover 

 them with Earth, beat it hard down and smooth it with their 

 Breast, and by Night sit upon them : the Young are pro- 

 duced in the Course of a Year. Some suppose that the look- 

 ing upon their Eggs with their Eyes serveth also to hatch 

 them. The Female flieth from the Male until he places some 

 Stick upon her as she turns away. 



The Trogloditse possess some that carry Horns, like the 

 broad Horns fastened to the Lyre, but movable, with which 

 in swimming they help themselves as with an Oar. And 

 this Kind of Tortoise is called Celtium : of remarkable Big- 



