130 The Natural History 



before night. It is totally a diurnal animal, and never 

 pretends to stir after it becomes dark. The tortoise, like 

 other reptiles, has an arbitrary stomach as well as lungs ; 

 and can refrain from eating as well as breathing for a 

 great part of the year. When first awakened it eats 

 nothing ; nor again in the autumn before it retires : 

 through the height of the summer it feeds voraciously, 

 devouring all the food that comes in its way. I was much 

 taken with its sagacity in discerning those that do it kind 

 offices ; for, as soon as the good old lady comes in sight 

 who has waited on it for more than thirty years, it hobbles 

 towards its benefactress with awkward alacrity ; but 

 remains inattentive to strangers. Thus not only " the ox 

 kno2veth his owner ^ a?id the ass his master's cril^,"^ but the 

 most abject reptile and torpid of beings distinguishes the 

 hand that feeds it, and is touched with the feelings of 

 gratitude ! 



I am, etc. etc. 



P.S. In about three days after I left Sussex the tortoise 

 retired into the ground under the hepatica. 



LETTER XIV 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES liARRINGTON 



Selborne, March 26, 1773. 



Dear Sir, 

 The more I reflect on the crropy-q of animals, the more 

 I am astonished at its effects. Nor is the violence 

 of this affection more wonderful than the shortness of 

 its duration. Thus every hen is in her turn the virago 

 of the yard, in proportion to the helplessness of her 

 brood ; and will fly in the face of a dog or a sow in 

 defence of those chickens, which in a few weeks she will 

 drive before her with relentless cruelty. 



This affection sublimes the passions, quickens the 



* Isaiah i. 3. 



