2O2 Life and Immortality. 



but what that reason was we could not imagine. If a decayed 

 or wormy portion of a toadstool was encountered in the 

 feeding process, he did not bite round it, but abandoned the 

 plant altogether, and went off in quest of a fresh specimen. 



Coming, in his travels, to a steep gully or ravine which he 

 desires to cross, he does not attempt the undertaking with- 

 out counting his chances of success. He seemingly revolves 

 the matter over and over for some time in his mind, and, 

 when at last he has reached a conclusion, draws his head and 

 feet under cover, and by some quick, sudden jerk flings him- 

 self down to the bottom, trusting to good fortune and his 

 own wits to making his way over the further incline. Obser- 

 vation teaches that his deliberations are generally attended 

 with the accomplishment of the result to be attained. 



There is a very common turtle, quite abundant in the small 

 lakes and streams of our Western States, where he is trapped 

 in great numbers for the market, which country people dub 

 the Snapping Turtle, or which, from the resemblance which 

 the head and neck, when stretched out, bear to the same parts 

 of the alligator, takes the name of Alligator Turtle, or 

 Chelydra serpentina, with the more learned naturalist. He 

 has a shell too small to close over him and hide him com- 

 pletely, but nature, to make up for this deficiency of cover- 

 ing, has given him a bold and hasty temper, which leads him 

 to snap vigorously when disturbed. Snapping Turtles live 

 rather harmoniously together, even when confined in the 

 same pen, and only manifest their ugly dispositions towards 

 each other when excited by causes from without, with whose 

 origin they have nothing to do. Contests of a very vicious 

 character are often thus precipitated, which sooner or later 

 end in the death of one or more of the belligerent parties. 



Down in the pine countries of our Southern States lives a 

 large, stout animal, with a shell fifteen inches in length, 

 which is denominated the Gopher, or Testudo Carolina. 

 These animals dwell in troops, several families digging their 

 dens or burrows near together, the entrance thereto being 



