60 Mr. Obd's Notes on the Habits of the Box-Tortoise 



feeble, and do not use much exercise until invigorated by a warm atmo- 

 sphere. 



I kept a number of these animals for several years in my garden, where 

 they had ample range, abundance of suitable food, and convenient places of 

 winter retreat. Notwithstanding these advantages, they but seldom produced 

 young, although they regularly deposited their eggs in the earth at the proper 

 season. This I am induced to attribute to the circumstance of the eggs having 

 been destroyed by the pismires, as happened in an instance hereafter to be 

 related. 



From my books of memoranda I make the following extracts : — 



" 1814. June 22, IVednesday. This evening, about sunset, I beheld one of 

 my land-tortoises in the act of digging a place of deposit for her eggs. She 

 scooped out the earth with her hind-feet, using them alternately. The hole 

 was dug as deep as she could reach, and the earth at the bottom was loosened, 

 after a sufficiency had been removed to the surface. The first e,gg was secured 

 in the loose earth at the bottom of the hole ; in four or five minutes another 

 egg was laid, and disposed of in the same manner ; and so on, until six eggs 

 were laid, about the same time elapsing between each. The earth was now 

 scraped from the sides of the hole (which was also done after each egg had 

 been laid), and carefully pressed upon the eggs ; and finally she reached that 

 upon the surface, scraping it into the hole by degrees, and packing or tread- 

 ing it at intervals. All this ceremony occupied a considerable time ; and she 

 had not finished filling up the hole when I left the place, which was about nine 

 o'clock. She kept in one position during the whole process, except what 

 change her motions made in digging and covering. The eggs appeared to 

 come from her with all the facility and speed of faeces. Shortly after laying 

 the last egg she uttered a guttural sound, several times repeated. She wrought 

 altogether with her hind-feet, alternating frequently ; and did not once look 

 at the deposit during the operation. 



" June 23. This morning I examined the deposit, and found the hole so 

 carefully covered up, that its exact situation was not visible without search. 

 There was the appearance of urine having been ejected upon the spot. I 

 removed the eggs into a box partly filled with earth, which box I have placed 

 upon the roof of an out-house. My tortoises lay every season, but the eggs 



