LAND TORTOISES IN THE SEYCHELLES. 623 



plasti-on measures 3' 9" x 2' 9". This is undoubtedl}' Testudo 

 elephantAna according to Dr. Giinther's monograph. The next 

 largest, No. 2. " Spurs," was presented by Mr. Spurs, now of 

 Europa Island, a French possession in the Mozambique Channel : 

 I am indebted for many of m}" most curious notes on the habits 

 of all varieties of sea turtles and land toi'toises to this gentleman, 

 who is an educated man trained in habits of observation and has 

 spent all his life among the islands of the Indian Ocean. The 

 present dimensions of " Spurs " are 4' 5" x 4' 4" on the carapace 

 and 3' 7" x 2' 5" on the plastron : he has grown slowly in breadth 

 since 1904 but not in length. This remarkably fine specimen (the 

 finest which Mr. Spurs has seen) is not of the elephantina variety, 

 and resembles the Testudo daudimi of Dr. Giinther's monograph. 

 These are probably the finest specimens living of their i-ace. My 

 recollection is that the Testudo elephantina which died at Colombo 

 in 1900, of a recorded age of 155 years, was of larger dimensions. 

 The large specimen at St. Helena was measured by Admiial Sir 

 J. Durnford in 1907 as 4' 6" " fore and aft," bvit it is not certain 

 whether this measurement included only the shell of the back. 



4. The adult females, which are readily distinguishable in 

 shape, are smaller than the males. The largest specimen in the 

 collection (No. 5) reached its present dimensions — 3' 8" x 3' 10" 

 along the carapace and 2' 8" x 2' 1" along the plastron — in 1906, 

 and has not grown during the last three years. Several others 

 have rather smaller dimensions and have not grown since 1904. 



The breeding season extends from January to April : the 

 females carry their eggs for about 10 weeks and lay them in holes 

 dug out by their hind legs and then covered over. The eggs in 

 each nest vary in number from 9 to 25 and are white, round, and 

 of the size of a lawn teruiis ball. There may be two nests made 

 annually by one female. Sea tui'tles lay a much greater number 

 of eggs, e. g., the green turtle 250 eggs at a time, and the hawks- 

 bill turtle 100 to 150. 



5. The young hatch out in about 120 to 130 days and work 

 their own way out of the ground. At the Government House 

 "pare aux tortues" about half of the eggs are unfertile ; but in 

 some years of di^ought, very few young ones appear, being unable 

 (probably) to work their way up. They grow fast if well fed, and 

 at four years old measure 1' 6" to 1' 10" in length and breadth of 

 carapace. It is said that they attain full growth in 25 years. It 

 is a local custom to mark off a young one at any birth in the 

 family and to eat it at the child's wedding day. The meat is 

 palatable and the liver is held to be a delicacy. 



6. The number of young ones secured from 1904 to 1909 was 

 168; they are liable to be destroyed by rats before their shells 

 harden. In a wild state at Aldabra practically all the young are 

 destroyed by florentins (cranes), rats, and wild cats. 



7. Through the courtesy of Admiral Sir John Durnford and 

 Captain Dumas, R.N., six specimens from this herd have been 

 presented to various institutions, e. g., Groot Schnur, Pretoria, and 

 the Zoological Society of London. 



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