THE TURTLE. 2389

more than five feet in length, and weighing five or six. hun-
dred pounds; its colour is a dull pale brown, varied with
darker markings. It is found on the coasts and islands of
all the tropical regions, and in great abundance both in the
East and West Indies.

These animals feed on a kind of grass which grows at the
bottom of the sea, often called turtle-grass, and they are
much esteemed for the delicacy of their flesh. They are
usually taken at the Bahama Islands, by means of a small
iron peg, fastened to the end of a long wooden staff. The
natives are very expert at catching turtle, watching them as
they return to and from their nests, and turning on their
backs all they meet, as the poor animals have not the ability
to rise, and are thus quite in the power of their destroyers.
Sir J. Alexander calls the Island of Ascension “the head-
quarters of the finest turtle in the world ;” and Mr. Darwin,
in his ‘Journal,’ gives the following account of the method
employed in catching them:—-“I accompanied Captain
Fitzroy to an island at the head of the Lagoon; the channel
was exceedingly intricate, winding through fields of deli-
cately-branched corals. We saw several turtles, and two
boats were then employed in catching them. The method
is rather curious: the water is so clear and shallow, that