HABITS OF THE BOX TORTOISE. 65 



are of an oval shape, 1'28 inch long and "91 inch in diameter. 

 When carefully blown they will retain their form. The shell is 

 very hydroscopic, and, if the eggs be placed in alcohol or glycerin, 

 they soon shrivel, owing to the abstraction of water from the in- 

 terior. The yonng hatch late in October, just in time to move into 

 winter quarters. 



The disposition of our box tortoise is timid and gentle. If 

 kept for a pet, it soon becomes very tame, and will eat from the 

 hand of its master, whom it may even grow to recognize. In 

 captivity it displays a great variety of tastes, and will readily take 

 to cooked meat, vegetables, or bread. 



Of all the lower vertebrates the tortoises exhibit, perhaps, the 

 most marvelous regularity in their habits. 



Thus the duration of the laying period is a very short time, 

 usually in June, and rarely extending over two weeks for each 

 species. It seems to be independent of the severity or mildness 

 of the season, but occurs with wonderful regularity year after 

 year. The same rule seems to apply to the time of hibernation. 

 Seven young tortoises of various species, which were kept in an 

 aquarium in a warm room, simultaneously refused to eat on the 

 5th of October, and went into hibernation just as they would have 

 done if in the open air. They remained buried in the mud beneath 

 the water, or huddled up asleep upon the land, and touched no 

 food for over two months. Sometimes, when the aquarium was 

 exposed to the full heat of the sun, one or two would awaken and 

 crawl slowly about, but it was extremely difficult to induce them 

 to eat. 



A turtle's heart consists of two auricles and only one ventricle ; 

 so, the blood is never completely aerated and is therefore, compar- 

 atively speaking, " cold." This is the reason that tortoises, espe- 

 cially those species which inhabit our rivers and ponds, delight 

 to bask for hours, exposed to the full glare of the hottest sun. 



Millions of years ago, when marshes covered the greater part of 

 the face of the earth, the reptiles were of huge size and strength. 

 The turtles of to-day are but the pygmy descendants of these giant 

 ancestors. Protected by their bony coverings, or relying upon 

 their knife-like jaws and savage dispositions, they have survived 

 in stunted form until to-day. Now, in this age of man, many spe- 

 cies bid fair to outlive the wanton destruction which is fast de- 

 priving our woods and meadows of the wild creatures which once 

 knew them as a safe retreat. The beaver, the gray squirrel, the 

 wild pigeon, will soon be no more ; but the lover of nature may 

 still find our tortoise for his study and amusement. 



VOL. XXXVIII. 5 



