Nov., 1928 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
106 
ing of the female turtle took place, even for a few years 
only. The female turtle comes out of the water about 
three times a year, at intervals of a month, to lay her 
eggs, and it is on such occasions that they are captured 
for slaughter. It is said that the male turtle is no good 
for soup, but such is not the case; it is simply that the 
males stay in the water, and it is by no means easy to 
catch them. The turtles are not as stupid as they may 
appear to most of us; at any rate they know full well 
that they have an enemy, namely, the turtle boys, on 
certain islands. On North-west Island no turtle will ever 
show itself on land until it is quite dark, whereas on 
other islands where they are not killed, many turtles can 
be seen on land late in the morning, and early in the 
evening, and they show no sign of fear. From this I 
conclude that each turtle selects its particular island every 
time it lays its eggs, and in all probability it is the same 
island, where it was hatched. A turtle lays between 
three hundred and four hundred eggs at a season, but 
probably only 1 per cent, survive to become full grown 
turtles. At least 50 per cent, of the young turtles as they 
come out of the ground and run to the sea are gobbled up 
by sea birds, and the number that reach the water are 
further greatly reduced by numerous sharks and other 
enemies. 
Heron Island, which is twenty miles south of North- 
west Island, has an area of about 50 acres, and is a most 
central place in this group, and very suitable for camp- 
ing. Many of the surrounding islands can be visited dur- 
ing a day, returning again for the night. Heron Island 
was the only place where Reef Herons were seen; these 
birds were also nesting; the place generally selected is 
between forks of trees about 20 feet from the ground. 
The. nest is in most cases very openly constructed of old 
brushwood. Some young birds were also seen. These 
birds are rather shy, which is a contrast to all other bird 
life on the islands. On this island tnere were about half 
a dozen magpies, the same suedes as we have on the 
mainland, and quite a lot of Kingfishers. 
Just to the south of Heron Island, with only a narrow 
deep water pasage and the imaginary line of the Tropic 
of Capricorn between, a very extensive reef called the 
Wistari, can be seen at low tide, about ten miles in 
length, and covered at high water. 
Masthead Island was visited from Heron Island. The 
tide was not altogether favourable and our stay on this 
island was only a few hours. When we were approaching 
