The crew had taken possession of some tortoises which the natives claimed, without having in the least assisted in capturing them.
They had reason for supposing that limes, bananas, and other tropical fruits abounded, and to add to their torments they saw the shells of tortoises floating on the shore.
No remains, and of course no living species, of these tortoises are known to exist or have existed on the mainland.
Of the seven species of giant tortoises known to science (although at the discovery of the islands there were probably fifteen) all are indigenous, and each is confined to its own islet.
Turtles and tortoises belong to the order known as Chelonia.
Then the Tortoises assembled by-and-by at the place where the Ostriches had fallen, and devoured them.
There should, however, be mentioned in addition the long-necked tortoises of the continent and the turtles of the seacoasts.
The tortoises which live on those islands where there is no water, or in the lower and arid parts of the others, feed chiefly on the succulent cactus.
It is said that formerly single vessels have taken away as many as seven hundred, and that the ship's company of a frigate some years since brought down in one day two hundred tortoises to the beach.
The inhabitants, as I have said, state that they can distinguish the tortoises from the different islands; and that they differ not only in size, but in other characters.
In the upper region they live chiefly on the acid and astringent berries of the guayavita, under which trees I have seen these lizards and the huge tortoises feeding together.
It is, however, certain, that tortoises can subsist even on these islands where there is no other water than what falls during a few rainy days in the year.
My attention was first called to this fact by the Vice-Governor, Mr. Lawson, declaring that the tortoisesdiffered from the different islands, and that he could with certainty tell from which island any one was brought.
Of sea- turtle I believe there are more than one species, and of tortoises there are, as we shall presently show, two or three species or races.
Tortoises (Testudinata, or Chelonians) belong to a very numerous order of reptiles, the usual form of which is too well known to require description.
The marsh and lake tortoises have their feet palmated, to enable them to move either on the water or on land.
In all the rivers and lakes, tortoises and turtles of several kinds are abundant.
Now, cranes are supposed to live one thousand years and tortoises ten thousand years.
I then told the duchess what I knew of tortoises and their habits, remarking that those amphibians lived more in the water than on land, and it was necessary for them to be put in the water at least occasionally.
Cranes and tortoises play their part in our ceremonies so often, you see.
Tortoises were frequent in the river, basking on the rocks, and popping into the water when approached.
The men found tortoises derelict in near shell-holes, and set them to walk in the trench, and they too wandered sadly about till they disappeared, no man knew where.
Presently, looking about for a cool place, he espied the resort of the Tortoises and alighted down near their home.
Tortoises lay their eggs in underground nests, where they remain for almost a year, and, strange to say, they have a very curious way of drilling holes for these nests with their tails.
The tortoises taken on this shore are thought to yield the best and finest shell for combs.
The last existing reptilian order (Chelonia) includes, besides the land tortoises of very various dimensions, a variety of aquatic forms.
On putting it down, we all saw two strange little young tortoises swimming about in it.
It has the habit of carrying tortoises and marrow bones to a great height, and dropping them on stones to obtain the contents, and is therefore called bonebreaker and ossifrage.
Defn: The ventral shield or shell of tortoises and turtles.
Then the Tortoises gathered together--they were very many--and they bit Old Three Sticks and all his family and friends on their long necks and killed them.
So the Young Tortoises were right when they said, 'There is something, after all, in being born a certain colour.
When they were all together he said, 'It now goes on too long, this hunting of the Tortoises by Old Three Sticks and his friends.
The whole veld was full of them, and they all began eating tortoises wherever they could find them.
But when the Old Tortoises gave him advice, the little Red Tortoise listened and thanked them.
And the tortoises thought and thought, and they talked and talked, but they couldn't make a plan that would drive the Ostriches away.
Since then the Tortoises have had peace from the Long-necked People--Oubaas Giraffe and old Three Sticks.
The Tortoises sat very still, waiting, my baasjes, just waiting, till the Ostriches were right in the middle of the two rings.
Tortoises live near shoals and feed on fungi and roots.
He watched for one of the tortoises to swim near the surface, and then shrieking "Crocodile," he pointed toward it.
The tortoises and fish paid no attention to him, and he examined it carefully.
He was not afraid now; tortoises do not fight unless attacked, and the boy could easily outswim any of the clumsy creatures.
From minute peculiarities, it is further inferred, that they were tortoises of different species from any now existing.
Notes on the families and genera of tortoises (Testudinata) and on the characters afforded by the study of their skulls.
Revision of the African tortoises and turtles of the suborder Cryptodira.
Congenital absence of limbs in tortoises of the genera Trionyx and Emyda.
The crowd was now immense, and there was no need this time to have tortoises laid on their backs for spectators.
Nobody but relations, or tortoises laid on their backs, will watch tableaux, but everybody likes a Punch and Judy show,' said Baby Jane.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "tortoises" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
