126 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



and dozing in the patches of sunshine fihering through the foliage 

 over their corral. 



Although tortoises are ordinarily credited with no great amount 

 of intelligence, the specimens in the Park evinced anything but 

 stupidity. The manner in which they regularly retired to the 

 bedded corner of their corral and fastidiously settled themselves 

 in the hay, the eagerness assumed as they watched their keeper 

 prepare the daily meal, showing their impatience by occasionally 

 taking choice morsels from his hand — all showed that their rea- 

 soning powers are not wholly void. 



Although a water-tank constantly filled was kept in the tortoise 

 yard, the reptiles drank at very irregular intervals. The largest 

 specimen was several times observed to drink at one time quan- 

 tities estimated at from eight to ten quarts, but his visits to the 

 drinking-tank were seldom more frequent than once or twice a 

 week. The anatomy of these creatures provides a reservoir for 

 the storage of water, and when this is filled, the fluid is slowly 

 consumed as needed. 



During the latter part of the summer, when cool nights rendered 

 it inadvisable to leave the reptiles outdoors after sunset, they were 

 lifted upon a hand-truck, each specimen constituting a load, and 

 transported to the east wing of the Reptile House, whence they 

 were taken to their yard again in the morning. They strenuously 

 objected to being lifted upon the truck, using their huge feet with 

 vigor in their endeavors to prevent the men from lifting them. 

 It required five men, employing their full strength, to lift the in- 

 dignant " Buster " aboard the truck, where he pufTed and snorted 

 with a degree of energy proportionate to his size. 



In the east wing of the Reptile House, the future home of all 

 our tortoises, is a platform mounted by two steps. Up these steps 

 to the platform and down again to the floor, with never a slip or 

 tumble, the giant tortoises climbed without difficulty, illustrating 

 the strength of limb with which Nature endowed them for trav- 

 ersing the volcanic and upheaved surface of the Galapagos Isl- 

 ands. It was upon this platform that they generally settled down 

 for the night, with heads and feet drawn in, looking much like an 

 assembly of cold, inanimate boulders. 



With the approach of cold weather the tortoises were taken to 

 the Elk House, and placed in the large west room. This is heated 

 by two large stoves, around which they cluster socially, and doze 

 away the intervals between feeding hours. 



