PACIFIC OCEAN.

with its feet. As soon as it arrived near the edge, but being still under water, it tried to conceal itself in the tufts of seaweed, or it entered some crevice. As soon as it thought the danger was past, it crawled out on the dry rocks, and shuf fled away as quickly as it could. I several times caught this

same lizard by driving it down to a point, and though hav ing such perfect powers of diving and swimming, nothing would induce it to enter the water; and, as often as I threw it in, it returned in the manner I have just described. Perhaps this apparent stupidity may be explained by the fact

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.

that this reptile has no enemy whatever on shore, whereas at sea it must often fall a prey to the numerous sharks. Hence, probably, a fixed and hereditary instinct that the shore is its place of safety; so that whatever the danger may be, there it takes refuge.

We will now turn to the land species of Amblyrhyncus, with a round tail and toes without a web. Some of these lizards inhabit the high and damp parts of the islands, but they are much more numerous in the lower and barren dis tricts near the coast. I cannot give a more forcible proof of their numbers than by stating that, when we were left at James Island, we could not for some time find a spot free from their burrows on which to pitch our single tent. Like their brothers, the sea-kind, they are ugly animals, of a yel lowish orange beneath, and of a brownish-red color above. When making its burrow, this animal works by turns the opposite sides of its body. One front leg for a short time scratches up the soil and throws it toward the hind foot, which is well placed so as to heave it beyond the mouth of the hole. That side of the body being tired, the other takes up the task, and so on alternately. I watched one for a long time, till half its body was buried; I then walked up and pulled it by the tail; at this it was greatly astonished, and soon shuffled up to see what was the matter, and then stared me in the face, as much as to say, "What made you pull my tail?"

They feed by day, and do not wander far from their bur rows; if frightened, they rush to them with a most awkward gait. When attentively watching any one, they curl their

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.

tails, and, raising themselves on their front legs, nod their heads up and down, and try to look very fierce; but in reality they are not at all so; if one just stamps on the ground, down go their tails, and off they shuffle as quickly as they

can.

chardson.

CACTUS GROWTH IN THE DESERTS OF UTAH.

I have often seen small fly-eating lizards, when watching anything, nod their heads in precisely the same manner, but I do not at all know for what purpose. If this Ambly rhyncus is held and plagued with a stick, it will bite it very

severely; but I

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.

caught many by the tail, and they never tried to bite me. If two are placed on the ground and held together, they will fight, and bite each other till blood is drawn. The little birds know how harmless these creatures are: I have seen one of the thick-billed finches picking at one end of a piece of cactus while a lizard was eating at the other end; and afterward the little bird, with the utmost indifference, hopped on the back of the reptile. I opened the stomachs of several, and found them full of vegetable fibres and leaves of different trees, especially of an acacia. To obtain the acacia-leaves they crawl up the low, stunted trees; and it is not uncommon to see a pair quietly browsing, while seated on a branch several feet above the ground.

IN the woods on Charles Island there are many wild pigs and goats, but the chief article of animal food is sup plied by the tortoises. Their numbers have, of course, been greatly reduced, but the people yet count on two days' hunting giving them food for the rest of the week. It is said that formerly single vessels have taken away as many as seven hundred, and that the ship's company of a frigate some years since brought down, in one day, two hundred tortoises. to the beach. Some grow to an immense size: Mr. Lawson, an Englishman, and vice-governor of the colony, told us that he had seen several so large that it required six or eight men to lift them from the ground, and that some had yielded as much as two hundred pounds of meat. The old males

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.

are the largest, the females rarely growing to so great a size: the male can readily be distinguished from the female by the greater length of its tail. The tortoises which live on those islands where there is no water, or in the lower and dry parts of the other islands, feed chiefly on the juicy cactus. They are very fond of water, drinking large quantities, and wallowing in the mud. The larger islands alone have springs, and these are always situated toward the central parts, and at a considerable height.

The tortoises, therefore, which inhabit the lower districts, are obliged, when thirsty, to travel from a long distance. Hence, broad and wellbeaten paths branch off in every direction from the wells down to the sea-coast; and the

THE TORTOISE.

Spaniards, by following them up, first discovered the watering-places. When I landed at Chatham Island I could not imagine what animal travelled so methodically along wellchosen tracks. Near the springs it was a curious spectacle to behold many of these huge creaturesof these huge creatures-one set eagerly travelling onward with outstretched necks, and another set returning, after having drunk their fill. When the tortoise arrives at the spring he buries his head in the water above his eyes, and greedily swallows great mouthfuls, at the rate of about ten in a minute. The inhabitants say each animal