52 CLASS REPTILIA. 



exclude the young regularly at a fixed period. The birth 

 of the latter depends rather on climate, season, and species. 

 We know that at St. Vincent, one of the Cape de Verde 

 islands, and the most northerly of those where the marine 

 tortoises lay, the young tortoises issue from their eggs at the 

 end of seventeen days. In the very warm climates it ispro- 

 bable that they are born sooner. Still, it has been said, that 

 twenty-four, and even forty days, were necessary for their 

 exclusion. On this point, however, it must be observed, that 

 there is nothing but contradiction among authors. 



The eggs of tortoises are more or less round according to 

 their species, and they have a white and a yolk. Their enve- 

 lope is more or less calcareous, but never so much so as that 

 of the eggs of birds, and it is often soft. They are cooked 

 in the same manner as those of hens, and their flavour is 

 not inferior, though the white does not harden so easily. 

 They are in great request in those countries in which tor- 

 toises abound. It is even reported that dogs are trained 

 to find them in some parts of South America. 



The little tortoises, issuing out of the sand, proceed 

 directly to throw themselves into the sea, which they will do 

 in spite of any efibrts made to turn them away from it. They 

 walk quicker at this age than when they have grown more 

 'bulky. They at first experience considerable difficulty in 

 plunging into the water, and, accordingly, many of them 

 then become the prey of aquatic birds. When they do enter 

 this element, they frequently become the victims of voracious 

 fish, so that great numbers of the young ones thus perish. 

 In proportion, however, as they advance in age their means 

 of defence are strengthened ; and at the end of the first year 

 few fishes can attack them with much chance of success. 



These little tortoises have a form pretty similar to that of 

 the mother ; but the carapace is at first covered with a tran- 

 sparent membrane, which grows brown by degrees, and forms 



