352 Miscellaneous. 



out by the lake, I found a live Turtle of some kind, lying on its 

 back on the beach. I was very greatly surprised ; but I remember 

 to have read that one species had been found on some part of the 

 Scottish coast. It is \\^ inches long, 10 inches broad, with large 

 paddles 5\ inches long. He delights to keep his head under water, 

 and raises it only occasionally for air. 



Nobody hereabouts has ever seen such a thing, or heard tell of 

 such a thing. What can it be? — how did it get there? — is it good 

 to eat ? are the questions asked by every one ; but no one can 

 answer. 



Can you assist to unravel the knotty question ? 



The gamekeeper said, when shown to him. How very like a bird ! 

 Head just like, and wings also ! Would not Darwin have been 

 pleased at the idea of a transformed Grouse, or, rather, a Grouse 

 changed by natural selection to adapt itself to live in the lake instead 

 of flying over the heather ? 



I remain, my dear Sir, yours faithfully, 



Br. J. E. Gray. A. D. Smee. 



P.S. All say here that they vow they will eat it, if it is good to 

 eat ; so that, if it is rare, you had better reply that it is rank poison. 



7 Finsbury Circus, Sept. 23, 1861. 



My dear Sir, — I could obtain no more information about the 

 Turtle. No person had ever heard of such a beast (everything is a 

 beast !) in that part of Scotland. 



It was found one evening about eleven o'clock, at the very edge of 

 the lake, upon the beach, the water rising in waves like a miniature 

 sea, and being about 8 feet above its usual level. It was lying on 

 its back somewhat stupefied, but rallied on being placed in water. 

 It was alive when I wrote to you, but died a few days afterwards, and 

 was to have been stuffed as a trophy of the place. 



The exact place where it was found was about 3 feet above a small- 

 boat landing-place at Rowardannon Lodge, and about 330 or 400 

 yards from the Rowardannon Pier, where tourists land for Ben 

 Lomond. 



I told the keeper you said he had put it there to take me in ; at 

 which he seemed greatly surprised, as he had " never seen such a 

 beast in his life." My own impression is that it had come upon the 

 coast, and up the river, which was unusually swollen, and got into 

 the lake, where it became feeble, and was thrown, in the tempestuous 

 weather, upon the beach where I found it. No one could certainly 

 have put it there for us to find, as who could have thought that I 

 should turn out at that time of night ? 



It has always appeared to me a most interesting circumstance, 

 and I think that the fact of one being found in the lake should be 

 recorded for the benefit of those interested in its natural history. 

 Perhaps the other specimen, which you tell me has been taken in 

 Scotland, and this, may have been swept out of the Mediterranean 

 together. 



I remain, my dear Sir, yours faithfully, 



Br. J. E. Gray. A. D. Smee. 



