Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-02-25
A HAPPY FAMILY.
NJ Consists OF Hugo Galapagos Tortoises

NJ Consists of Hugo Galapagos Tortoises
and Number of Erisky Young HIRES.
At General Park in New York City
may be seen happy family, the like OF
which, possibly, cannot be met any.
where else in the world. 1t consists OF
n number of frislsy young harcsand the
slowest and most ancient-looking OF
tortoises. The tortoises, however, are
not as old as they appear; when grown
to their full size they will weigh hun
dreds of pounds apiece and be quite
able to carry men upon their backs
The tortoises are part OF numb Der
brought from the Galapagos Islands,
several years ago, to the Natural His
tory Museum at Washington. These
islands, forming small archipelago in
the Pacific Ocean, are very remarkable
in many respects, but in none more SO,
perhaps, than in having been the home
of races of giant tortoises of which tho
specimens at Central Park are n rem
nant. Commodore Porter, who visited
the Galapagos Islands about eighty
years ago, saw such droves OF these
tortoises that he says man might
have walked considerable distance on
their backs without descending to the
ground. He saw specimens five feet
long, four and half feet wide, and
measuring three feet thick through the
body. He was impressed not only with
| their size, but with their strange shape.
| They had long neclSs and fiat, serpent
like heads, and long legs (for turtles)
upon which they stood with the body
full foot from the ground. Though
keen of sight, these tortoises are quite
deaf, the loudest noise failing to startle
them; but in their wild state they
are so timid that the sight of man
makes them scuttle off in ponderous
haste. Sometimes, however, as Mr.
Darwin says the instant they perceive
anyone, they draw in their legs and
head, and uttering n deep hiss, fall to
the ground with a heavy thud, as it
struck dead. 81 frequently" he says,
"got upon their backs, and upon giving
few raps upon the hinder part of the
shell, they would rise up and walk
away; but / found it very difficult to
keep my balance" The Galapagos tor
toise is thirsty creature; the one oh.
ject of its life seems to be to get enough
to drink. In the smaller islands, where
there are no springs, the tortoises are
obliged to content themselves with the
succulent Peruvian cactus and other
Juicy plants; but in the larger ones they
travel long distances to the springs
which occur in the more elevated cen
trail parts From every part of the sea
coast broad, well-beaten paths, origi
nally made by tortoises, converge tt
the interior and lead to the watering
places Travellers who visited the isl
ands when these paths were used by tht
tortoises tell us how curious it was t.
see the huge creatures, one set eagerly
travelling toward the springs with out
stretched necks, and another set re
turning, having drunk their fill.
When tortoise arrived at spring
quite regardless Of the spectator i
buried its head in water above the eye
and greedily swallowed great mouth
fuls at the rate of about ten q minute
Although rather clumsy pets, tn
creatures are entirely harmless TIL
little saucy hares that share quarter
with them at Central park play around
about and all over them, as if they wer
so many great boulders, which indee
they somewhat resemble.
Unfortunately for these Galapago
tortoises, the delicious flavor of thei
meat has long been known; and SO
happens that through the greed an
carelessness of mankind they are rapid
ly disappearing from the face of tn
earth.-J. Carter Beard, in st. Nicholas
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