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Show 1876.] LETTER FROM COMMANDER W. E. COOKSON, R.N. 523 into the boats we had to lower them over the cliff, a height of about 200 feet. During this process, and more especially in the carrying-down, they received some rough treatment. There was no external injury ; but whether caused by this or not, these tortoises never thrived like those we got from Albemarle Island ; and, as I mentioned before, the two kept died after having been less than seven weeks on board, whereas all those from Albemarle Island remained in good health. " Referring to the report that the Abingdon-Island tortoises had white heads and feet, I may here remark that of the four we found all had some of the nails of their toes yellowish white (a peculiarity which we did not observe in any of the Albemarle-Island tortoises); and their jaws were of the same colour, as I have before observed. Perhaps white colouring is only a mark of age. , " I will here describe the four Abingdon tortoises we obtained. "'A' weighed 201 lb. when taken. This tortoise had every appearance of great age : its skin was very wrinkled and white, and the shell much battered and indented, with several patches of parasitic growth on it, which had the appearance of common bark-lichen. The vertebrae of the neck were diseased. This tortoise died at sea after being on board about six weeks, " ' B ' weighed 131 lb. It was killed at sea, as I could not preserve all alive, and I hoped to keep the two larger ones. This tortoise was an adult male. " ' C ' was killed on shore and not weighed. " The fourth Abingdon tortoise is the one I have mentioned as having been kindly preserved in spirits for me by Professor Thomson, and which I hope has already reached you; it weighed 1731b. when taken, and bore marks of age. "From Abingdon Island I went to Tagus Cove, Albermarle Island; and here, on the small plain above mentioned, situated a few miles from the anchorage in the cove, we found altogether about 24 tortoises. Three were adult males, and weighed respectively 2401b., 185 lb., and 173 lb.; three or four females also, averaging about 100 lb. in weight, were said by our guide to be full-grown ; the remainder were in various stages of growth. The smallest found weighed 9 oz., and was pronounced to be about four years old. Of these, I have now on board the largest male and female ; the pair next in size, together with two young ones in different stages of growth, Admiral Cochrane took on board the ' Repulse' in August last. Probably you have already received these tortoises, as the Admiral expressed his intention of forwarding them by the first opportunity. " A tortoise which we found at the S.W. end of Albemarle Island, near to Iguana Cove, was also put on board the ' Repulse,' and, I hope, has safely reached you. This tortoise, a male, weighing 1751b., was pronounced by our guide to be decidedly full-grown; but it differed considerably in shape and general appearance from all the full-grown tortoises we saw near Tagus Cove, being much more compact, and rounder in shape, and having the lines on the |