. Once the bill of the "fierce turtle" has closed
upon any object its hold is secure. You may cut its head off, but
otherwise it cannot be forced to let go, until it has either captured
its prey or taken the piece with it. It will "nip" a stout walking-cane
between its mandibles, as if it was no more than a rush.

A very good story is told of a thief and a tortoise. The thief was
prowling about the larder of an hotel in search of plunder, when he came
upon a large market-basket filled with provisions. He immediately
inserted his hand to secure the contents, when he felt himself suddenly
seized by the fingers, and bitten so severely, that he was fain to draw
back his hand in the most hasty manner possible. But along with the
hand he drew out a "snapping" turtle. To get rid of the "ugly customer"
was his next care; but, in spite of all his efforts, the turtle held on,
determined to have the finger. The scuffle, and the shouts which pain
compelled the thief to give utterance to, awoke the landlord and the
rest of the household; and before the thief could disengage himself and
escape, he was secured and given into custody.

Well, it was just a tortoise of this species, a "snapping turtle," and
one of the largest size, that our travellers now saw doing battle with
the caiman. The caiman was not one of large size, else the turtle would
have fled from it, not that even the largest caimans are feared by the
full-grown _carapas_. No; the strong plate-armour of the latter
protects them both from the teeth and tail of this antagonist. The
jaguar, with his pliable paws and sharp subtle claws, is to them a more
dreaded assailant than the crocodile or caiman.

The one in question was some six or seven feet long, and altogether not
much heavier than the turtle itself. It was not for the purpose of
eating each other they fought. No--their strife was evidently on other
grounds. No doubt the caiman had been attempting to plunder the
new-laid eggs of the tortoise, and the latter had detected him in the
act. At all events, the struggle must have been going on for some time,
for the sand was torn up, and scored, in many places, by the sharp claws
of both.

The battle appeared to be still at its height when our party arrived on
the spot. Neither tortoise nor caiman paid any attention to their
presence, but fought on pertinaciously. The aim of the caiman appeared
to be to get the head of the tortoise in his mouth; but when