1876.] LETTER FROM COMMANDER W. E. COOKSON, R.N. 523 



into the boats we had to lower them over the cliff, a height of 

 about 200 feet. During this process, and more especially iu the 

 carrying-down, they received some rough treatment. There was no 

 external injury ; but whether caused by this or not, these tortoises 

 never thrived like those we got from Albemarle Island ; and, as I 

 mentioned before, the two kept died after having been less than 

 seven weeks on board, whereas all those from Albemarle Island 

 remained in good health. 



" Referring to the report that the Abingdon-Island tortoises had 

 white heads and feet, I may here remark that of the four we found 

 all had some of the nails of their toes yellowish white (a peculiarity 

 which we did not observe in any of the Albemarle-Island tortoises) ; 

 and their jaws were of the same colour, as I have before observed. 

 Perhaps white colouring is only a mark of age. 



" I will here describe the four Abingdon tortoises we obtained. 



"'A' weighed 201 lb. when taken. This tortoise had every 

 appearance of great age : its skin was very wrinkled and white, and 

 the shell much battered and indented, with several patches of 

 parasitic growth on it, which had the appearance of common bark- 

 lichen. The vertebrae of the neck were diseased. This tortoise 

 died at sea after being on board about six weeks, 



" ' B ' weighed 131 lb. It was killed at sea, as I could not pre- 

 serve all alive, and I hoped to keep the two larger ones. This 

 tortoise was an adult male. 



" ' C ' was killed on shore and not weighed. 



" The fourth Abingdon tortoise is the one I have mentioned as 

 having been kindly preserved in spirits for me by Professor 

 Thomson, .and which I hope has already reached you; it weighed 

 1731b. when taken, and bore marks of age. 



" From Abingdon Island I went to Tagus Cove, Albermarle 

 Island ; and here, on the small plain above mentioned, situated a 

 few miles from the anchorage in the cove, we found altogether 

 about 24 tortoises. Three were adult males, and weighed respec- 

 tively 2401b., 185 lb., and 173 lb.; three or four females also, 

 averaging about 100 lb. in weight, were said by our guide to be 

 full-grown ; the remainder were in various stages of growth. The 

 smallest found weighed 9 oz., and was pronounced to be about four 

 years old. Of these, I have now on board the largest male and 

 female ; the pair next in size, together with two young ones in dif- 

 ferent stages of growth, Admiral Cochrane took on board the 

 ' Repulse ' in August last. Probably you have already received 

 these tortoises, as the Admiral expressed his intention of forwarding 

 them by the first opportunity. 



" A tortoise which we found at the S.W. end of Albemarle 

 Island, near to Iguana Cove, was also put on board the ' Repulse,' 

 and, I hope, has safely reached you. This tortoise, a male, weighing 

 1751b., was pronounced by our guide to be decidedly full-grown; 

 but it differed considerably in shape and general appearance from 

 all the full-grown tortoises we saw near Tagus Cove, being much 

 more compact, and rounder in shape, and having the lines on the 



