Reptiles. 157 



A Pair of Redbreasts built a Nest late in November, 1833, in 

 a ratiier exposed hole in the northern side of a garden wall 

 in this town. By early in December, five eggs were laid; 

 but some boys, who had discovered the nest, caused the birds 

 to forsake it. The nest and eggs were removed on Dec. 20., 

 when, of the eggs, two that were accidentally broken, showed 

 a state of progress towards the formation of young. I have 

 the three unbroken eggs. A nest of young redbreasts in 

 winter would be rare indeed, but the past season has been 

 extraordinarily mild. — T, G. Chipping Noiton, Oxfordshire^ 

 December 26. 1833. 



Reptiles. — A Tortoise foreJcnows the relative Coldness of a 

 coming Winter, and foreshows the Degree by the Depth to 

 nsohich it buries itself in the Earth. — I have a tortoise; I was 

 going to say an old tortoise, but I know nothing about his 

 age. I have had him about nine years. He was given to 

 me by an old gentleman, who had possessed him at least 

 twenty years, and who had received him from another old 

 gentleman who had possessed him for many years previously, 

 but who gave him away because he used to eat young let- 

 tuces. Neither this person nor the gentleman who gave 

 him me knew any thing about his age ; so it is not probable 

 that I should. Every winter, this tortoise buries himself in 

 the earth ; and, knowing better than Mr. Squire or Moore's 

 Almanack what sort of a winter we are going to have, the 

 colder the winter is going to be, the deeper he goes. Well, 

 Sir, last winter [1832] the top of his shell was only covered 

 two inches. There were, if you recollect, only two nights 

 that could be really called frosty ; and now his shell is only 

 just level with the earth, the very top of it being visible 

 through the turf. Argal, we shall have no frost at all. — 

 E. N. D. Dec. 14. 1833. 



This foretelling arrived too late for publication in the 

 Number for January, 1834. E. N. D. has, on February 2., 

 informed us that " the tortoise, on January 17. 1834, emerged 

 from his hiding-place, and walked about as in summer." 



A Tortoise inhabits the Aquarium of the Botanic Garden at 

 Cambridge ; and as this {it is possible) may eventually be- 

 come as venerable as the tortoise above, and, like it, the hero 

 of a tale, a timely registration of some facts in the history 

 of its younger days may avail its future biographer. This 

 tortoise was once my father's, who has, at my request, sup- 

 plied most of the following facts respecting it. — J. D. 



The tortoise was given me in the end of May, 1828, by 

 your aunt, L. Cross, to whom it had been given by her son, 

 E. Cross, who had brought it, with five other tortoises, from 



