Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-25

The Galapagos tortoiSeS are of a very
ancient race-survivors, in fact, Of the
early tertiary epoch. Some of them have
weighed more than eight hundred pounds.
but nearly all the. very big ones have
been caught and eaten. 1t is reckoned
that ten million of them have been taken
for food since the islands were first dis
covered. AS provisions for ships nothing
ever equalled them, inasmuch as their
flesh is much like pullet's, and they
VIII remain in good condition for a
twelvemonth without food or water.
Toward the end of the seventeenth CEN
fury pirates used to make the islands a
rendezvous. victualling their ships with
turtles, and in later years whalers fol-
lowed the same practice. Not many
years ago a factory was started on one of
these islands for making oil from the fat
of the tortoiSeS. and three thousand gall
Ions of this product We're turned out an
nually. Wild dogs ate great numbers of
the young turtles. and so it is not sur
prising that only Il few of these interest,"
feeders, living chiefly on succulent cacti
At intervals they made pilgrimages to
the mountain tops to get water, and in
this way they have formed regular roads
1t was by following these tracks that the
Spaniards originally found the water
holes.
Among the commercial reptiles are also
TO be included the boa constructor and
python, which contribute their skins for
making the most fashionable pocket
books and other articles of dainty USE
Beautiful feathers are furnished likewise
by the hideous iguana and the Chameleon
the latter South American lizard
which has lung so huge that. when it is
minated. the body appears transparent.
rms phenomenon led the ancients to be-
lieve that the creature fed on air. Each
half of the animal seems to have move
nf r.,
side is asleep the other may be awake.
ana even the eyes have separate motions
Even the dreaded ella monster, a lizard
OF the deserts of the southwest has OBJ
tanned commercial Importance within the
last few years. Its leather is unite a fad
nowadays. The animal is foot and a
half long, and looks as if it were made
OF salmon-colored beads, with a pattern
IN black beads worked in. The old no.
ton that its breath is poisonous was ex-
pioded long ago. and as to the venomous
quality of its bite there is vehement dis
pute. DR.. Weir Mitchell has killed rab-
bits and Suinea-pigs by inoculating them
with its so-called venom" The creature
lays eggs three-quarters of an inch long,
covered with soft white skin 1t lives
IN holes. or under masses of vegetable
debris, torpid in the daytime and ONLY
coming out in twilight to feed on in
scots and birds eggs.
There are Il good many kinds of lizards
that are very good to eat. though unap-
preciated by the white man. They can
scarcely be regarded as possessing COM
mercial Importance. though they are
highly valued by aboriginal peoples. Even
the desolation of Death Valley is enliv-
ened by great numbers of such reptiles,
one species of which, in particular, the
chuck-walla.' is a staple article of
dlet Tor the local Indians. 1t is about a
foot long. very fat. and tastes almost ex
actly like bullfrog. At Delmonico's it
would be appreciated as a dainty, IL
pIoperly prepared and not too accurately
described in the bill-of-fare, Indeed
tnere is no reason why it should not be
nice. inasmuch as it subsists on flowers.
When specimen is cut open. it's stom-
ach is usually found filled with yellow
casSias, lotus blossoms. ETC. The Indians
NOOK the chuck-walla out of clefts in the
rocks with forked stick. To catch one
on the run is out of the question, mas
much as the animal can gallop as fast as
race-horse. 1t Is very difficult to get
within gunshOt of one in the open-Rene
Bache In Boston Transcript.