t 542 ] 

 CHAP. V. 



AMPHIB1ALA. 

 Amphibia Linn. 



SECTION I. 



Land Tortoise. 



Tcstudo graeca. 



i- HE common or Greek Tortoise is supposed to be a native of 

 almost all the countries bordering on the Mediterranean sea j 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 article 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 September the animal 

 hides itself under ground, and again emerges in February* ; laying 

 its eggs in June, in a small hole, which it scratches in some sunny 

 spot, out of which after the first rains of September, the young 

 are hatched, which are about the size of a walnut. The males of 

 this species are said to fight often, butting at each other with such 

 force as to be heard at a considerable distance.'* 



The general length of the shell of this species is from six to 

 eight inches, which latter measure it rarely exceeds : the weight of 

 the full-grown animal is about forty- eight ounces. The shell is of 

 an oval form, extremely convex on the upper part, and composed, 

 as in most others, of thirteen middle pieces, and about twenty.five 

 marginal ones : the middle pieces, or those constituting the disk of 

 the shield, are mostly of an oblong square form, and of a blackish 

 or dark brown colour, varied by a broad yellow or citron band 



* When kept in gardens in Italy and Germany, it is observed to latibulize in 

 October, and to reappear in April. In England it retires about the end of 

 October, and reappears about the middle of April ; but these periods seem to 

 differ in all countries, according to the temperature of the weather, &c. 



