SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT. 123 



tion, where it had not done so much rock-climbing. Mr. Roths- 

 child says : ' I think No. i must be at least four hundred years old.' 

 Now you can safely call No. 5 (the largest specimen in your 

 Park) at least four hundred years old on the best authority," 



Incidental to Mr. Webster's letter, it might be explained that 

 the tortoises were numbered when collected, and these numbers 

 have been used as originally bestowed. 



The five specimens arrived at the Zoological Park in box crates, 

 and were placed in a large open-air inclosure in front of the Rep- 

 tile House. On the shell of each was painted in large white figures 

 the number by which it had been designated for sale. The speci- 

 mens were immediately weighed and measured, in order that their 

 growth in size and weight might be noted from year to year. 



The next step was to photograph each specimen. During the 

 process of picture-taking the reptiles were allowed their freedom 

 on the lawn in front of the Reptile House. They were nowise 

 embarrassed by the work of Mr. Sanborn, the Park photographer, 

 and grazed with great energy on the luxuriant blue grass and 

 clover. Scattered as they were over the grassy field, their huge 

 shells glistening in the sunlight and moving ponderously, their 

 appearance at once suggested the efforts of palaeontologists to re- 

 store the weird landscapes of the Pliocene Age. This eflfect was 

 still further heightened by the occasional stretching of a head and 

 neck, two feet or more, as a tortoise surveyed its surroundings 

 with slowly blinking eyes. 



With much difficulty the specimens were weighed, and the fig- 

 ures obtained were as follows: No. 5, Testudo vicina, 310 lbs.; 

 No. II, T. vicina, 156 lbs.; No. 13, T. vicina, 129 lbs.; No. 21, 

 T. ephippium, 118 lbs.; and No. 17, T. nigrita, 66 lbs. The di- 

 mensions of the largest specimen were found to be as follows : 

 Length of shell on curve, 4 feet 3 inches ; width on curve, 4 feet 

 7^ inches ; height, 20 inches. By way of comparison, it may be 

 stated that the average weight of our common gopher tortoise 

 when fully mature, is about fifteen pounds. This is the largest 

 species of American tortoise. 



Not many days after the tortoises were installed, they seemed 

 perfectly at home. Owing to the surprising amount of activity 

 they displayed, they were fed daily. All day long, with deliberate 

 stride, the big fellows roamed about their inclosure, assembling 

 every morning to feed greedily upon the piles of green food sup- 



