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tortoise, a native of the south of Europe, was in the pos- 

 session of a respectable individual (the then chapter 

 clerk) of this city, in the year 1746, when it was re- 

 puted to be between fifty and sixty years old. It was 

 presented by him to the Bishop of Peterborough, and 

 has probably been about eighty years an inhabitant of 

 the palace gardens, where the present bishop erected 

 a shed for its better protection in the winter. It 

 prepared with the first symptoms of cold weather to 

 bury itself, and was then removed to the shed : it re- 

 mained torpid till the return of settled spring weather, 

 when, as soon as it rose to the surface of the ground, 

 it was taken out, and left at liberty in the kitchen 

 garden ; when, besides a panful of bread and milk 

 prepared for it every morning, it fed upon lettuce, 

 dandelion, and such fruits as were within its reach 

 but of lettuce and dandelion it was particularly fond. 

 It was supposed to know the voice of the gardener, 

 who usually brought its bread and milk. It was very 

 susceptible of changes in the atmosphere, and showed 

 its enjoyment of heat by the comparative agility of 

 its movements and its increased readiness for food. 

 For many years it had the use of only one eye, the 

 lid of the other being closed in consequence of a blow 

 from a spade whilst under ground. This eye was re- 

 stored during the summer of 1826, and was apparently 

 as perfect as the other till the time of its death. As 

 soon as it showed itself in the warm weather of March, 

 it was evident that it was in a very sickly state ; the head 

 was unnaturally forced forward and upward, and though 

 it took food, it did not masticate or swallow it. In a 

 few days it died. Upon opening it, a great quantity 

 of mucus was found in the resophagus. It was a fe- 

 male. The muscles by which it was enabled to force 

 its head forward were remarkably strong. Its strength 



