TORTOISES. 43 
Tortoises have been divided into the following four families : 
(1) Testudinide, or Land Tortoises, which have feet formed for 
walking and have no webbing between the toes. (2) Emydida, 
or Freshwater Tortoises, sometimes called Marsh Tortoises and 
Terrapins. These possess feet adapted for both walking and 
swimming, the toes being slightly webbed. (3) T'rionychide, or 
Freshwater Turtles, also known as River and Soft Tortoises. 
These have feet far more webbed than those of the preceding 
family. (4) Cheloniide, or Sea Turtles, whose feet are fin-shaped. 
The above is not the most scientific division, but it is perhaps 
the simplest, and, at any rate, the most suitable for our purpose, 
since it is founded chiefly upon the manner of life of the creatures, 
rather than upon their difference of structure. Though repre- 
sentatives of all these families just mentioned can be kept in con- 
finement, the members of the former two only come within the 
limits of this book. 
Tortoises are interesting animals and give very little trouble 
when kept in captivity. As none of these Reptiles are now 
indigenous to Britain, their presence in this country is due to 
importation. The most commonly imported Chelonians are the 
European Land Tortoises. They are brought into England in 
oreat numbers, and, consequently, are very inexpensive to buy. 
5 The twisted appearance of their front iegs has given the general 
name of Tortoise to all their relatives (from the French ¢ortis, 
fem. tortisse, twisted, which comes from the Latin torqueo 
(tortum) “I twist ’’). | 
The Greek Tortoise, which is illustrated at Fig. 33, was 
prebably one of the first Reptiles in which the English began 
to take an interest, to keep in confinement, and ventured to 
treat as a pet. The late Mr. Frank Buckland speaks of a 
ship’s cargo of them. In London they, with other Land Tor- 
toises, may sometimes be seen covering the platform of a coster- 
monger’s barrow. And there nearly every bird-dealer offers, 
during the spring and summer months, numbers of these crea- 
tures for sale, keeping them frequently for the time being in a 
pigeon or fowl’s pen, where they spend their days, either in ap- 
parent apathy, or in trying to climb and crawl over each other. 
In the larger dealers’ establishments, occasionally, they may be 
