Theinhabitantsbelievethattheseanimalsareabsolutelydeaf；certainlytheydonotoverhearapersonwalkingclosebehindthem。Iwasalwaysamusedwhenovertakingoneofthesegreatmonsters，asitwasquietlypacingalong，toseehowsuddenly，theinstantIpassed，itwoulddrawinitsheadandlegs，andutteringadeephissfalltothegroundwithaheavysound，asifstruckdead。Ifrequentlygotontheirbacks，andthengivingafewrapsonthehinderpartoftheirshells，theywouldriseupandwalkaway；——
butIfounditverydifficulttokeepmybalance。Thefleshofthisanimalislargelyemployed，bothfreshandsalted；andabeautifullyclearoilispreparedfromthefat。Whenatortoiseiscaught，themanmakesaslitintheskinnearitstail，soastoseeinsideitsbody，whetherthefatunderthedorsalplateisthick。Ifitisnot，theanimalisliberatedanditissaidtorecoversoonfromthisstrangeoperation。Inordertosecurethetortoise，itisnotsufficienttoturnthemliketurtle，fortheyareoftenabletogetontheirlegsagain。
TherecanbelittledoubtthatthistortoiseisanaboriginalinhabitantoftheGalapagos；foritisfoundonall，ornearlyall，theislands，evenonsomeofthesmalleroneswherethereisnowater；haditbeenanimportedspecies，thiswouldhardlyhavebeenthecaseinagroupwhichhasbeensolittlefrequented。Moreover，theoldBucaniersfoundthistortoiseingreaternumberseventhanatpresent：WoodandRogersalso，in1708，saythatitistheopinionoftheSpaniards，thatitisfoundnowhereelseinthisquarteroftheworld。Itisnowwidelydistributed；butitmaybequestionedwhetheritisinanyotherplaceanaboriginal。ThebonesofatortoiseatMauritius，associatedwiththoseoftheextinctDodo，havegenerallybeenconsideredasbelongingtothistortoise；ifthishadbeenso，undoubtedlyitmusthavebeenthereindigenous；butM。Bibroninformsmethathebelievesthatitwasdistinct，asthespeciesnowlivingtherecertainlyis。
TheAmblyrhynchus，aremarkablegenusoflizards，isconfinedtothisarchipelago；therearetwospecies，resembling[picture]
eachotheringeneralform，onebeingterrestrialandtheotheraquatic。
Thislatterspecies(A。cristatus)wasfirstcharacterizedbyMr。Bell，whowellforesaw，fromitsshort，broadhead，andstrongclawsofequallength，thatitshabitsoflifewouldturnoutverypeculiar，anddifferentfromthoseofitsnearestally，theIguana。Itisextremelycommononalltheislandsthroughoutthegroup，andlivesexclusivelyontherockysea-beaches，beingneverfound，atleastIneversawone，eventenyardsin-shore。Itisahideous-lookingcreature，ofadirtyblackcolour，stupid，andsluggishinitsmovements。Theusuallengthofafull-grownoneisaboutayard，buttherearesomeevenfourfeetlong；alargeoneweighedtwentypounds：
ontheislandofAlbemarletheyseemtogrowtoagreatersizethanelsewhere。
Theirtailsareflattenedsideways，andallfourfeetpartiallywebbed。
Theyareoccasionallyseensomehundredyardsfromtheshore，swimmingabout；andCaptainCollnett，inhisVoyagesays，“Theygotoseainherdsa-fishing，andsunthemselvesontherocks；andmaybecalledalligatorsinminiature。”Itmustnot，however，besupposedthattheyliveonfish。
Wheninthewaterthislizardswimswithperfecteaseandquickness，byaserpentinemovementofitsbodyandflattenedtail——thelegsbeingmotionlessandcloselycollapsedonitssides。Aseamanonboardsankone，withaheavyweightattachedtoit，thinkingthustokillitdirectly；
butwhen，anhourafterwards，hedrewuptheline，itwasquiteactive。
Theirlimbsandstrongclawsareadmirablyadaptedforcrawlingovertheruggedandfissuredmassesoflava，whicheverywhereformthecoast。Insuchsituations，agroupofsixorsevenofthesehideousreptilesmayoftentimesbeseenontheblackrocks，afewfeetabovethesurf，baskinginthesunwithoutstretchedlegs。
Iopenedthestomachsofseveral，andfoundthemlargelydistendedwithmincedsea-weed(Ulvae)，whichgrowsinthinfoliaceousexpansionsofabrightgreenoradullredcolour。Idonotrecollecthavingobservedthissea-weedinanyquantityonthetidalrocks；andIhavereasontobelieveitgrowsatthebottomofthesea，atsomelittledistancefromthecoast。
Ifsuchbethecase，theobjectoftheseanimalsoccasionallygoingouttoseaisexplained。Thestomachcontainednothingbutthesea-weed。Mr。
Baynoe，however，foundapieceofcrabinone；butthismighthavegotinaccidentally，inthesamemannerasIhaveseenacaterpillar，inthemidstofsomelichen，inthepaunchofatortoise。Theintestineswerelarge，asinotherherbivorousanimals。Thenatureofthislizard’sfood，aswellasthestructureofitstailandfeet，andthefactofitshavingbeenseenvoluntarilyswimmingoutatsea，absolutelyproveitsaquatichabits；yetthereisinthisrespectonestrangeanomaly，namely，thatwhenfrighteneditwillnotenterthewater。Henceitiseasytodrivetheselizardsdowntoanylittlepointoverhangingthesea，wheretheywillsoonerallowapersontocatchholdoftheirtailsthanjumpintothewater。Theydonotseemtohaveanynotionofbiting；butwhenmuchfrightenedtheysquirtadropoffluidfromeachnostril。IthrewoneseveraltimesasfarasIcould，intoadeeppoolleftbytheretiringtide；butitinvariablyreturnedinadirectlinetothespotwhereIstood。Itswamnearthebottom，withaverygracefulandrapidmovement，andoccasionallyaideditselfovertheunevengroundwithitsfeet。Assoonasitarrivedneartheedge，butstillbeingunderwater，ittriedtoconcealitselfinthetuftsofsea-weed，oritenteredsomecrevice。Assoonasitthoughtthedangerwaspast，itcrawledoutonthedryrocks，andshuffledawayasquicklyasitcould。Iseveraltimescaughtthissamelizard，bydrivingitdowntoapoint，andthoughpossessedofsuchperfectpowersofdivingandswimming，nothingwouldinduceittoenterthewater；andasoftenasIthrewitin，itreturnedinthemannerabovedescribed。Perhapsthissingularpieceofapparentstupiditymaybeaccountedforbythecircumstance，thatthisreptilehasnoenemywhateveronshore，whereasatseaitmustoftenfallapreytothenumeroussharks。Hence，probably，urgedbyafixedandhereditaryinstinctthattheshoreisitsplaceofsafety，whatevertheemergencymaybe，ittheretakesrefuge。
Duringourvisit(inOctober)，Isawextremelyfewsmallindividualsofthisspecies，andnoneIshouldthinkunderayearold。Fromthiscircumstanceitseemsprobablethatthebreedingseasonhadnotthencommenced。Iaskedseveraloftheinhabitantsiftheyknewwhereitlaiditseggs：theysaidthattheyknewnothingofitspropagation，althoughwellacquaintedwiththeeggsofthelandkind——afact，consideringhowverycommonthislizardis，notalittleextraordinary。
Wewillnowturntotheterrestrialspecies(A。Demarlii)，witharoundtail，andtoeswithoutwebs。Thislizard，insteadofbeingfoundliketheotheronalltheislands，isconfinedtothecentralpartofthearchipelago，namelytoAlbemarle，James，Barrington，andIndefatigableislands。Tothesouthward，inCharles，Hood，andChathamislands，andtothenorthward，inTowers，Bindloes，andAbingdon，Ineithersawnorheardofany。Itwouldappearasifithadbeencreatedinthecentreofthearchipelago，andthencehadbeendispersedonlytoacertaindistance。Someoftheselizardsinhabitthehighanddamppartsoftheislands，buttheyaremuchmorenumerousinthelowerandsteriledistrictsnearthecoast。Icannotgiveamoreforcibleproofoftheirnumbers，thanbystatingthatwhenwewereleftatJamesIsland，wecouldnotforsometimefindaspotfreefromtheirburrowsonwhichtopitchoursingletent。Liketheirbrothersthesea-kind，theyareuglyanimals，ofayellowishorangebeneath，andofabrownishredcolourabove：fromtheirlowfacialangletheyhaveasingularlystupidappearance。Theyare，perhaps，ofaratherlesssizethanthemarinespecies；butseveralofthemweighedbetweentenandfifteenpounds。Intheirmovementstheyarelazyandhalftorpid。Whennotfrightened，theyslowlycrawlalongwiththeirtailsandbelliesdraggingontheground。
Theyoftenstop，anddozeforaminuteortwo，withclosedeyesandhindlegsspreadoutontheparchedsoil。
Theyinhabitburrows，whichtheysometimesmakebetweenfragmentsoflava，butmoregenerallyonlevelpatchesofthesoftsandstone-liketuff。
Theholesdonotappeartobeverydeep，andtheyenterthegroundatasmallangle；sothatwhenwalkingovertheselizard-warrens，thesoilisconstantlygivingway，muchtotheannoyanceofthetiredwalker。Thisanimal，whenmakingitsburrow，worksalternatelytheoppositesidesofitsbody。Onefrontlegforashorttimescratchesupthesoil，andthrowsittowardsthehindfoot，whichiswellplacedsoastoheaveitbeyondthemouthofthehole。Thatsideofthebodybeingtired，theothertakesupthetask，andsoonalternately。Iwatchedoneforalongtime，tillhalfitsbodywasburied；Ithenwalkedupandpulleditbythetail，atthisitwasgreatlyastonished，andsoonshuffleduptoseewhatwasthematter；andthenstaredmeintheface，asmuchastosay，“Whatmadeyoupullmytail？”
Theyfeedbyday，anddonotwanderfarfromtheirburrows；iffrightened，theyrushtothemwithamostawkwardgait。Exceptwhenrunningdownhill，theycannotmoveveryfast，apparentlyfromthelateralpositionoftheirlegs。Theyarenotatalltimorous：whenattentivelywatchinganyone，theycurltheirtails，and，raisingthemselvesontheirfrontlegs，nodtheirheadsvertically，withaquickmovement，andtrytolookveryfierce；
butinrealitytheyarenotatallso：ifonejuststampsontheground，downgotheirtails，andofftheyshuffleasquicklyastheycan。Ihavefrequentlyobservedsmallfly-eatinglizards，whenwatchinganything，nodtheirheadsinpreciselythesamemanner；butIdonotatallknowforwhatpurpose。IfthisAmblyrhynchusisheldandplaguedwithastick，itwillbiteitveryseverely；butIcaughtmanybythetail，andtheynevertriedtobiteme。Iftwoareplacedonthegroundandheldtogether，theywillfight，andbiteeachothertillbloodisdrawn。
Theindividuals，andtheyarethegreaternumber，whichinhabitthelowercountry，canscarcelytasteadropofwaterthroughouttheyear；
buttheyconsumemuchofthesucculentcactus，thebranchesofwhichareoccasionallybrokenoffbythewind。Iseveraltimesthrewapiecetotwoorthreeofthemwhentogether；anditwasamusingenoughtoseethemtryingtoseizeandcarryitawayintheirmouths，likesomanyhungrydogswithabone。Theyeatverydeliberately，butdonotchewtheirfood。Thelittlebirdsareawarehowharmlessthesecreaturesare：Ihaveseenoneofthethick-billedfinchespickingatoneendofapieceofcactus(whichismuchrelishedbyalltheanimalsofthelowerregion)，whilstalizardwaseatingattheotherend；andafterwardsthelittlebirdwiththeutmostindifferencehoppedonthebackofthereptile。
Iopenedthestomachsofseveral，andfoundthemfullofvegetablefibresandleavesofdifferenttrees，especiallyofanacacia。Intheupperregiontheylivechieflyontheacidandastringentberriesoftheguayavita，underwhichtreesIhaveseentheselizardsandthehugetortoisesfeedingtogether。Toobtaintheacacia-leavestheycrawlupthelowstuntedtrees；
anditisnotuncommontoseeapairquietlybrowsing，whilstseatedonabranchseveralfeetabovetheground。Theselizards，whencooked，yieldawhitemeat，whichislikedbythosewhosestomachssoaraboveallprejudices。
HumboldthasremarkedthatinintertropicalSouthAmerica，alllizardswhichinhabitdryregionsareesteemeddelicaciesforthetable。Theinhabitantsstatethatthosewhichinhabittheupperdamppartsdrinkwater，butthattheothersdonot，likethetortoises，travelupforitfromthelowersterilecountry。Atthetimeofourvisit，thefemaleshadwithintheirbodiesnumerous，large，elongatedeggs，whichtheylayintheirburrows：
theinhabitantsseekthemforfood。
