Animal life in the sea and on the land . leseggs are round in shape, and are left, without furthercare, to be hatched by the heat of the sun. 12. After leaving the egg, the tender young turtles, notmore than an inch long, run immediately to the doing so they act prudently, for the sea-birds are fondof them, and eat as many as they can catch. Havingreached the water, they are not yet free from danger, butstill have many risks to run from fishes and other seacreatures that are ready to enjoy the tempting morsels. 13. Tortoise-shell. — Tortoise-shell which is used forornamental work come
Animal life in the sea and on the land . leseggs are round in shape, and are left, without furthercare, to be hatched by the heat of the sun. 12. After leaving the egg, the tender young turtles, notmore than an inch long, run immediately to the doing so they act prudently, for the sea-birds are fondof them, and eat as many as they can catch. Havingreached the water, they are not yet free from danger, butstill have many risks to run from fishes and other seacreatures that are ready to enjoy the tempting morsels. 13. Tortoise-shell. — Tortoise-shell which is used forornamental work comes from the hawks-bill turtle. Theplates of this shell are thinner at the edges, as you maysee in the picture (Fig. 145), and overlap each other liketiles on a roof. In order to work the tortoise-shell, it is Fijr. 144.—Green Turtle. 222 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE SEA AND ON THE LAND. softened by being placed in boiling water, and while inthis pliable condition it readily takes the desired form,which is retained after the shell becomes Fie:. 145.—Hawks-bill Turtle. 14. When a large piece of tortoise-shell is needed, sev-eral plates are joined together. This is done by scrapingthe edges of the plates very thin and laying them overeach other while they are in a softened state. They arethen placed under a heavy pressure, and the pieces uniteso perfectly that the seam can scarcely be discovered. SNAKES. 223 XXXV. SNAKES. SUB-KINGDOM, VERTEBRATA : CLASS, REPTILIA. 1. Snakes generally Disliked. — Lurking as they do insolitary nooks and unfrequented places, and stealthilygliding away when discovered, it is no wonder thatsnakes have not gained for themselves many friends. 2. Although we know that most snakes are not danger-ous, that they are timid animals, anxious to escape fromour presence, and, moreover, that their coloring is some-times rich and beautiful, yet they continue to be objectsof general dread and dislike, and few of us can appreciatebeauty when it is presented in th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1887
