TORTOISE. 161 



saw young martins in their nests, nearly fledged ; 

 and again, on the 21st of October, we had, at the 

 next house, a nest full of young martins, just ready 



the season, its favourite pabulum was the flowers of the dande- 

 lion (leontodon taraxacum), of which it would devour twenty at 

 a meal ; and lettuce (lactuca sativa) ; of the latter a good sized 

 one at a time ; but, if placed between lettuce and the flowers of 

 the dandelion, it would forsake the former for the latter. It 

 was also partial to the pulp of an orange, which it sucked 

 greedily. 



" About the latter end of June (discerning the times and 

 the seasons), it looked out for fruit, when its former choice 

 was forsaken. It ate currants, raspberries, pears, apples, peaches, 

 nectarines, &c., the riper the better ; but would not taste cher- 

 ries. Of fruits, however, the strawberry and gooseberry were 

 the most esteemed : it made great havoc among the strawberry 

 borders, and would take a pint of gooseberries at intervals. The 

 gardener told me it knew him well, the hand that generally fed 

 it, and would watch him attentively at the gooseberry bush, 

 where it was sure to take its station while he plucked the 

 fruit. 



11 I could not get it to take the root of the dandelion, nor 

 indeed any root I offered it, as that of the carrot, turnip, &c. 

 All animal food was discarded, nor would it take any liquid, at 

 least, neither milk nor water ; and when a leaf was moist, it 

 would shake it, to expel the adhering wet. 



" This animal moved with apparent ease, though pressed by 

 a weight of 18 stones ; itself weighed 13^1bs. In cloudy wea- 

 ther, it would scoop out a cavity, generally in a southern ex- 

 posure, where it reposed, torpid and inactive, until the genial 

 influence of the sun roused it from its slumber. When in this 

 state, the eyes were closed, and the head and neck a little con- 

 tracted, though not drawn within the shell. Its sense of smelling 

 was so acute, that it was roused from its lethargy if any person 

 approached even at a distance of twelve feet. 



" About the beginning of October, or latter end of September, 

 it began to immure itself, and had, for that purpose, for many 

 years selected a particular angle of the garden : it entered in an 

 inclined plane, excavating the earth in the manner of the mole ; 

 the depth to which it penetrated varied with the character of 

 the approaching season, being from one to two feet, according 

 as the winter was mild or severe. It may be added, that, for 

 nearly a month prior to this entry into its dormitory, it refused 

 M 



