6 CHELONIA. 



" Throughout the hot season they remained all day in concealment, coming out a little before sunset to 

 feed on the grass, lucem, or cabbage-leaves which were thrown to them. As night approached they did 

 not again retire, but, as if enjoying the coolness of the air, remained stationary until morning, when 

 they withdrew to their retreats before the sun rose. They did not wander about during the night, but 

 remained as if asleep. 



" At this season they were fond of plunging into water, where they would often remain for half an hoiu' 

 at a time ; this, too, generally had the effect of making them void their excrement, which appeared to be 

 hard, oblong masses of ill-digested food, vegetable fibres, and along -with it a small quantity of chalky 

 substance (urine). 



'' They drank a great quantity of water, which they took by thrusting in the head and swaUo^ving it by 

 draughts. As the rainy season set in they became more lively, and were to be seen during the day 

 wandering about in the rain, feeding freely and resting at intervals, and frequently performing the rites 

 of love. Often, indeed, two or three males succeeded each other with little intermission, without appearing 

 to inconvenience the female, who lay quite still, cropping the grass within her reach. The male mounts 

 on the back of the female like other quadrupeds, placing his fore legs on the top of the carapace, while his 

 hind legs rest on the ground. They remain engaged for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, the male 

 uttering at intervals a groaning soimd. They are not, however, attached after the operation, as is said to 

 be the case, but the desire of the male being appeased, he retires to rest and feed. During the whole 

 period of the rains the females continued to admit the males frequently, i.e. from the latter end of June 

 till the middle of October, being nearly four months, when they became less familiar and drew off from 

 each other. 



" On the 11th November, 1835, one of the females commenced sinking a pit to receive her eggs, which 

 she performed in the following manner :— Having selected a retired spot at the root of a tuft of coarse, 

 tall grass, she began to moisten the earth with water which she produced from the anus, and then with 

 the strong horny toes of her hind feet proceeded to scrape away the mud she had made. She used her 

 hind feet alternately, and as she proceeded the water continued to be supplied drop by drop, so as to 

 render the earth of a thick, muddy consistency, and easy to be scraped out of the pit she was making. 



"In about two hours she had succeeded in making a hole six inches in depth and four inches in 

 diameter ; in this she immediately deposited her eggs, four in number, filling up the hole again with the 

 mud she had previously scraped out, and then treading it well in, and stamping upon it with her hind feet 

 alternately until it was filled to the surface, when she beat it down with the whole weight of her body, 

 raising herself behind as high as she could stretch her legs and suddenly withdrawing them, allowing 

 herself to drop heavily on the earth, by which means it was speedily beaten flat ; and so smooth and 

 natural did it appear that, had I not detected her in the performance of her task, I should certainly never 

 have noticed the spot where she had deposited her eggs. She did not immediately leave the place after 

 finishing her work, but remained inactive, as if recovering from her fatigues. 



" In about fom* hours she had dug the hole, deposited her eggs, replaced the earth, and retired to feed. 



" As the cold season approached they became more sluggish, seldom leaving their retreats, and at the 

 beginning of December 1833 they remained altogether motionless, refusing to feed. They make no 

 attempt to bmrow in the ground, as the Greek Tortoise {Testudo graca) is said to do, but thrust them- 

 selves in amongst the coarse grass which was heaped up in a corner of their enclosure. Until the 9th of 

 February 1834 they remained in a state of lazy, listless repose, having never stirred from the spot they 

 had chosen full two months before. They were not, however, in a state of torpidity, but merely lying 

 inactive. 



" The 9th, 10th, and 11th days of February being cloudy, with a few showers of rain, the tortoises came 

 forth and took some lucern, and drank plentifully of water. They did not continue to come out, but 

 relapsed into their former repose ; nor did they venture forth again in the evening until the hot season 

 had commenced, or about the middle of April. The winter of 1834. proved much milder than that of the 

 •^ -eceding year, and the tortoises in consequence continued to come forth for their supply of food; but 



