TURTLES DEPOSITING THEIR EGGS. 219 



Great numbers, however, are killed by the turtlers and Indians, 

 as well as by various species of carnivorous animals, as cougars, 

 lynxes, bears, and wolves. The hawk-bill, which is still more 

 wary, and is always the most difficult to surprise, keeps to the 

 sea islands. All the species employ nearly the same method 

 in depositing their eggs in the sand, and as I have several times 

 observed them in the act, I am enabled to present you with a 

 circumstantial account of them. 



" On first nearing the shores, and mostly on fine calm moon- 

 light nights, the turtle raises her head above the water, being 

 still distant thirty or forty yards from the beach, looks around 

 her, and attentively examines the objects on the shore. Should 

 she observe nothing likely on the shore to disturb her intended 

 operations, she emits a loud hissing sound, by which such of her 

 enemies as are unaccustomed to it are startled, and so are apt 

 to remove to another place, although unseen by her. Should 

 she hear any noise, or perceive indications of danger, she 

 instantly sinks and goes off to a considerable distance; but 

 should everything be quiet, she advances slowly towards the 

 beach, crawls over it, her head raised to the full stretch of her 

 neck, and when she has reached a place fitted for her purpose 

 she gazes all roimd in silence. Finding 'aU well,' she pro- 

 ceeds to form a hole in the sand, which she effects by removing 

 it from under her body with her hind flappers, scooping it out 

 with so much dexterity that the sides seldom if ever fall in. 

 The sand is raised alternately with each flapper, as with a large 

 ladle, until it has accumulated behind her, when supporting 

 herself with her head and fore part on the ground fronting her 

 body, she, with a spring from each flapper, sends the sand 

 around her, scattering it to the distance of several feet. In 

 this manner the hole is dug to the depth of eighteen inches, or 

 sometimes more than two feet. This labour I have seen per- 

 formed in the short period of nine minutes. The eggs are then 

 dropped one by one, and disposed in regular layers to the 

 number of a hundred and fifty, or sometimes two hundred. The 

 whole time spent in this part of the operation may be about 

 twenty minutes. She now scrapes the loose sand back oyer the 

 eggs, and so levels them and smooths the surface, that few 

 persons on seeing the spot could imagine anything had been 



