OAPTUEE MANY TURTLK. 51 



We remained at this anchorag-e for the two fol- 

 lowing- days, during which time the weather was 

 g"enerally g-loomy and unsettled, with occasional 

 heavy rain. As numerous recent tracks of turtle 

 upon the sandy beach indicated that the season had 

 not yet ended, parties were sent on shore to watch 

 for them after dark, and although only one was taken 

 on the first night, j^et on the following not less than 

 eighteen were secured and brought off: fifteen of 

 them were of the green, and three of the hawksbill 

 kind. The last, I believe, is undescribed: it is 

 certainly not the one (Caretta imbricata) producing 

 the greater part of the tortoise-shell of commerce, 

 and which is not rare in Torres Strait, distinguished 

 by having the posterior angle of each dorsal plate 

 projecting, so as to give a serrated appearance to 

 the margin of the carapace which, in the present 

 species is quite smooth. The green turtle a^^eraged 

 360 lbs. each, and the hawksbills about 250 lbs. 

 Although a strong prejudice existed against the 

 hawksbill as an article of food, we all found reason 

 to change our minds, and pronounce it to be at least 

 equal to the other. The newly hatched turtle (all 

 hawksbills) were running about in everj^ direction, and 

 among their numerous enemies, I was surprised to 

 see a burrowing crab ( Oci/poda cvrsor) which runs 

 with great swiftness along the sandy beaches. 

 These crabs even carried off a plover which I had 

 shot, not allowing more than ten minutes to elapse 



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