50 THE VIVARIUM. 
pieces of raw meat, mice, and young birds. Many of these Tor- 
toises will pass even more of their time upon land than in the 
water. They prefer in confinement that water in which such 
plants as the Duck-weed (Lemne) are growing. They are natur- 
ally timid animals, and are evidently more at ease and at home 
when under the protective covering of the aquatic weed. I have 
noticed that when Freshwater Tortoises refuse to remain in the 
water (if they can help doing so) and try to hide themselves on 
land under some plant, rock, or piece of cork, they will leave 
voluntarily such covert on shore and return to the water should 
a few handfuls of duckweed be thrown upon its surface. There 
among the Zemne they will live apparently quite contentedly, 
frequently floating with their heads well above the weed, but ready 
to dive down and swim away on seeing that which alarms them. 
While at liberty they hibernate in the holes of muddy banks, 
under heaps of rubbish, or in the mud at the bottom of ponds. 
In confinement they will forego hibernation when kept during 
the winter in a heated Vivarium and warm water. If they are 
wished to hibernate, they may, provided that they have been 
feeding well for some weeks in early autumn, be packed, sur- 
rounded by moss, in a small box, and put away in a cool place 
where frost cannot reach. And in spring when restored to their 
Vivarium they will, if all things have gone well with them, 
rouse from their torpor and soon recommence to eat. 
Some of the Emydide might be naturalized in England. Occa- 
sionally certain of these Tortoises on escaping from confinement 
have been found years afterwards, alive and healthy, in some 
pond, river, or canal. Indeed, the Mud Tortoise (Emys. lutaria) 
which is illustrated at Fig. 34, at least, used to be indigenous to 
this country, its remains having been found in peat in England. 
The greater proportion of the 300 different Chelonians are Fresh- 
water Tortoises. North America is particularly rich in the Emy- 
dide; there are noneat all in New Zealand. 
The Terrapins and their eggs are frequently eaten by the 
natives of those countries in which they are found. As a rule, 
however, their flesh has not a pleasant flavour, owing to the car- 
nivorous habits of the Reptiles. Some of them, e.g., the Mud 
Tortoise (4. lutaria), are occasionally induced to feed upon 
