LECTURE VII. 17 



m the accounts of animals published long ago 

 by the French Academy. It grows to the length 

 of four feet, and is entirely of a dull brown co- 

 lour without any variegations. It is one of the 

 numerous species confounded by the Count de 

 Cepede with the Common Tortoise or T. Grasca. 



Of the river or fresh water Tortoises one of the 

 most remarkable is the T. Jerox or fierce Tor- 

 toise, a native of many parts of North America, 

 and first described by Mr. Pennant in the Philo- 

 sophical Transactions ; its shield or shell is hard 

 or bony only in the middle , the edges being soft 

 and flexible : its colour is brown above and white 

 beneath ; the head is small, with a long, pointed 

 snout, and a very long neck which is at pleasure 

 withdrawn into the shell : the feet are very widely 

 webbed. Unlike the rest of the tribe, it is an 

 animal of swift motion, and when disturbed, 

 springs forward with great fury to attack its as- 

 sailant : its usual length is from one to two feet ; 

 but it is sometimes found far larger. It feeds 



on various water-animals as well as on vegetable 



o 



substances. 



The Sea Tortoises, or Turtles as they are com- 

 monly called, are distinguished from the rest by 



;LECT, u. c 



