TURTLE. 
13 
Although a large turtle, in his native element, is 
able to exert a considerable degree of strength, 
yet he finds it extremely difficult to disentangle 
himself from the net, on account of the beatino’ of 
O 
the sea, which about those little islands is so much 
agitated as to keep the nets in continual motion. 
The turtles thus entangled are sometimes drowned, 
in consequence of the nets being neglected ; or be- 
come the prey of sharks or sword-fish, who not only 
destroy the turtle but greatly damage the nets. 
This species is not confined to the Indian seas 
alone, but visits the coasts of all the islands and con- 
tinents of the torrid zone. They live upon the 
submarine plants that cover the bottom of the sea 
to a certain distance from the shore ; there they 
may be seen, in calm and fine weather, feeding iii 
numbers upon their marine pasture. In the inter- 
mission of their feeding they often retire into the 
outlets of the great rivers to indulge themselves with 
fresh water, where they frequently remain till their 
appetite recalls them to their former station. At 
these times they generally float with their heads 
above the surface of the water ; but the instant they 
are alarmed by any hunters, or birds of prey, or 
even the shadow of any object, they suddenly 
plunge to the bottom. They never leave the water 
entirely unless it is to lay their eggs ; and their an- 
nual visits for this purpose are thus described by 
Catesby : In the month of April they crawl up 
from the sea above the flowing of high water, and 
dig a hole above two feet deep in the sand, into 
