10 COMMON TORTOISE. 



given, and its specific characters so exactly as- 

 certained as to leave no doubt of the animal in- 

 tended. This, however, is so far from being the 

 case, that it may be questioned whether any of the 

 genus has been less distinctly described. 



The figure given by the Count de Cepede, in 

 his History of Oviparous Quadrupeds, as well as 

 its description, at p. 144 of that work, relates to 

 a very different species; the author having con- 

 founded widely distinct animals. This is the 

 more unfortunate, as the Count particularly ob- 

 serves, that it is known to all the world, and that 

 there is scarcely any person who has not seen it : 

 that it has been in all times the type of tardity ; and 

 that it has furnished in every age a field of specu- 

 lation for philosophers, images for poets, and pro- 

 verbs for the people. All this is indeed true, but 

 not of the animal he describes and figures. 



The common or Greek Tortoise is supposed to 

 be a native of almost all the countries bordering 

 on the Mediterranean Sea ; and is thought to be 

 more frequent in Greece than in other regions. 

 It is found in the scattered European islands of 

 the Archipelago, and in Corsica and Sardinia. 

 It occurs likewise in many parts of Africa. In 

 Greece, according to Forskal, " it forms an ar- 

 ticle of food ; and the inhabitants often swallow 

 the blood recent, and eat the eggs boiled, which 

 are about the size of those of a pigeon, four or 

 five in number, and of a white colour. In Sep- 

 tember the animal hides itself under ground, and 



