GREEN OR COMMON TURTLE. 213 



tainous parts of Sardinia and the South of Europe. Its 

 motions are extremely slow. In the Grecian islands, its 

 flesh is considered by the inhabitants a favourite food. 

 They also drink its blood. These animals burrow under 

 the surface of the ground before the commencement of 

 winter, and continue there, out of reach of the cold, and 

 in a torpid state, until the return of spring. About the 

 month of June, the females lay four or five eggs, in holes 

 which they form in the ground for that purpose. As food, 

 they prefer milky plants, such as dandelions and sow- 

 thistles ; and are able to live, for many successive months, 

 without any food whatever. They live to a great age. A 

 Tortoise, which was kept in the garden of the archbishop 

 of Canterbury, at Lambeth, was known to have been 

 there more than a hundred and twenty years. 



The Common Tortoise seldom exceeds the length of 

 eight or nine inches. Its feet are scarcely divided into 

 toes. The upper part of the shell is extremely convex, 

 and very obtuse at the rim. The middle is blackish - 

 brown, varied with yellow. The under part of the shell 

 is of a pale yellow. The tail is covered with scales, but 

 terminates in a horny point. 



Green or Common Turtle. This is the species which 

 is in great request for the tables of the opulent, in this 

 and various other countries. It is principally brought 

 from the West Indies, and only in a few instances 

 has been found on the British shores. I saw one which, 

 a few years ago, was caught in the sea near Christchurch 

 in Hampshire; but probably it had fallen overboard 

 from some homeward-bound West Indiaman. The 

 largest of these Turtles are known to weigh upwards of 

 eight hundred pounds, and to measure more than seven 

 feet in length. They inhabit only the sea, and feed 



