186 SHREWSBURY. 



berries. I have already mentioned the contents of 

 the stomach in one specimen that I examined ; in 

 another this viscus, a membranous sac, nearly as long 

 as the trunk, contained nothing of an animal nature, 

 but only some pulpy berries, and several stony seeds 

 closely like those of a grape. One which I captured 

 with a hair-noose, indeed, on being turned into the 

 lizard-box, seemed to manifest hostility to the Anoles 

 which were there ; these fled from it, and the Gecko 

 appeared to have a desire of pursuing, for it crept 

 towards one and another with a stealthy step, the 

 belly and head being on the ground, like a cat 

 watching a mouse. Yet these actions might be 

 nothing more than the manifestation of caution on 

 being put into unwonted circumstances. While thus 

 engaged, it ever and anon licked its lips with its pro- 

 truded tongue ; an action common to all our Gecko- 

 tidce. The ordinary length of the species is about 

 nine inches. 



THE POND TURTLE. 



Between Shrewsbury and Content is a pond of 

 about one fourth of an acre in extent, choked up 

 with Potamogeton, and covered with Duckweed. It 

 is embosomed in the high woods which rear them- 

 selves around it on every side ; a giant Cotton-tree 

 rises from the margin, and the long branches of a 

 vigorous Bastard-cedar reach almost quite across it. 

 A luxuriant gourd called the Duppy's melon*, has 



* Duppy is a spiritual personage of whom the negroes are terribly 

 afraid; it might be rendered "hobgoblin." The habit of naming 



