|3npular Btrtiouarn of 5tumat*lr flnture. 693 



TORTOISES. (Testurlinnta.) Underthis ' and to that which follows. These dorsal 

 general appellation is included a numerous vertebrae, thus become immovable, have at- 

 and interesting order of Reptiles, which are tin-In <l to each a pair of ribs, as in most 

 distinguished, at the first glance, by their | vertebrated animals : but these ribs are so 

 body being inclosed in a double buckler, much widened as to touch each other along 

 which only allows the head and neck, the ! the whole or nearly the whole of their length, 

 tail, and the four limbs to be protruded. | and are connected together by sutures. Last- 

 They are slow, quiet, and inoffensive ani- . ly, the marginal pieces, which are articulated 

 mals ; extremely tenacious of life ; suffering ! with the extremities of the ribs, and which 

 the severest mutilations for days or even : form a kind of border to the carapace, re- 

 weeks ; and for longevity they are unequal- j present the sternal portions of these bones ; 

 led, actual proof having been given of some ; which in Mammalia remain in a cartilagi- 

 which were known to have lived upwards of , nous state, as, in fact, they do, in some Tor- 

 two hundred years. Their motions are toises. 

 usually slow and awkward, and their sen- 

 sations appear to be very obtuse. They feed COMMON or GRFEK TORTOISE. (Tcstwlo 

 upon vegetable substances, and seldom wan- Greece.) This well-known species is sup- 

 der far from their usual haunts ; but they | posed to be a native of almost all tlte coun- 

 rcquire very little nourishment, and can tries bordering on the Mediterranean sea, 

 even remain for months without taking any. and is thought to be more frequent in Greece 

 For the most part they inhabit the warmer than elsewhere. It is found in the scattered 

 regions of the globe ; though many species islands of the Archipelago, and in Corsica 

 will bear removal to colder climates, where, and Sardinia ; occurring likewise in many 

 however, they pass the winter in a torpid parts of Africa. The general length of the 

 state. The upper buckler, termed the cara- shell of this species is from six to eight inches ; 

 pace or shield, is highly arched and very rarely exceeding the latter measure ; and 

 strong in the Land Tortoises ; but more flat- the weight of the full-grown animal is about 

 tened in the aquatic families, for the better forty-eight ounces. The shell is of an oval 

 adaptation of their form to motion in a liquid. , form, extremely convex on the upper part, 

 The inferior buckler, named the plastron and composed of thirteen middle pieces, and 

 or breast- plate, ditt'crs considerably in degree about twenty-five marginal ones : the middle 

 of development, and in the relative con- pieces, or those constituting the disc of the 

 solidation of its different parts. It is most shield, are mostly of an oblong square form, 

 complete in the Land Tortoises ; in many of and of a blackish or dark brown colour, 



varied by a broad yellow or citron band 

 running along one side of each, and con- 

 tinued about half way along the upper part : 

 there is also an oblong patch of a similar 

 colour running down the lower part or side 

 of each : and on the top or centre of each 

 piece is an obscurely square or oblong space ; 

 rather more depressed than the rest, and 

 marked, as in many other tortoise-shells, 

 with roughish spots or granules : several 

 furrows more or less distinct in different 

 individuals, appear traced round the sides of 

 each piece, becoming gradually less distinct 



which the anterior and posterior portions of 



it are so jointed to the centre-piece, as to be as they approach the upper part or space 

 able to close the orifices before and behind, just mentioned. The colours of the shell are 

 after the head, tail, and legs have been drawn 

 in. Notwithstanding this unusual arrange- 



more or less bright in the different specimens, 

 and are subject to some occasional varia- 



ment of the osseous frame-work of the Tor- i tions, as well as sometimes in the shape of 

 toise tribe, we find the same constituent parts the pieces themselves. The under partof the 

 (though greatly modified) as in ordinary shell is of a citron or pale yellow colour, 

 vertebrata. We see that the carapace on its with a broad blackish or deep brown zone 

 upper surface is formed by a great number | down on each side, leaving the middle part 

 of bony plates, united together by sutures ; ! plain. The head is rather small ; the eye 

 of these plates, eight occupy the median line, ' small and black ; the mouth not extending 

 sixteen constitute a longitudinal range on j beyond the eyes ; the upper part of the head 

 each side of these, and twenty-five or twenty- j covered with somewhat irregular, tough 

 six surround the whole like an oval frame. ! scales, and the neck with smaller granula- 



But if we examine the carapace by its lower 

 surface, we find that the central pieces are 

 appendages to the dorsal vertebra. On the 

 under side, the body of each of these bones 

 is found, in fact, to present its ordinary form ; 

 as is also the vertebral canal, which serves 

 to lodge the spinal cord ; but the upper 

 portion of the walls of the ring which con- 

 stitute tliis canal is here spread out side- 

 ways as a disc, and is continuous without 

 interruption with the corresponding plates, 

 belonging to the vertebra which precedes, 



tions so as to be flexible at the pleasure of 

 the animal. The legs are short, and the 

 feet moderately broad, covered with strong 

 ovate scales, and commonly furnished with 

 four tolerably stout claws on each ; but these 

 parts are found to vary in number, there 

 being sometimes five claws instead of four on 

 the fore feet. The tail is still shorter than 

 the legs, is covered with small scales, and 

 terminates in a naked horny pointed tip or 

 process. This animal lives to a most ex- 

 traordinary age, of which fact several well- 



