424 ANTIGUA. 



after these seasonal absences, resumes his customary 

 walks, and comes and takes his food as formerly, and 

 seeks those whom he affects, that he may be fed, and 

 fondled, and petted as heretofore. He seems sensitive 

 to the successive strokes of the hand upon the shell ; 

 for on every succeeding passage of the hand over his 

 back, he extends more and more his head, until 

 he stretches it at full, when he remains with it 

 lengthened out, and eyes the person who caresses 

 him with evident pleasure and satisfaction. The 

 sensation in this instance is most probably electric, 

 and must be referred to the delicacy of feeling which 

 renders him so restless and stirring whenever rain 

 threatens. His food is altogether vegetable, — pieces 

 of potatoe (batatas), and yam, the peelings of fruit, 

 and succulent leaves. He is as frequently the rough 

 playmate of the children as the fondled pet of 

 gentler hands ; but he is alike reconciled to either 

 notice, and never seems inclined for any other so- 

 ciety, at least during his seasonal reappearance in the 

 house, than the inmates of his accustomed home. 

 He has been in the possession of Mr. Millar now 

 twelve years." 



If the species naturalized in Jamaica was intro- 

 duced from South America, it is quite possible that 

 it may be this same Kinixys Homeana, since this is 

 common to the continent and the Caribbean chain. 

 There are specimens in the British Museum, which 

 were sent from Demerara. 



MM. Dumeril and Bibron refer the " Hicatee" 

 of Browne to Testudo tabulata, which they attribute 

 to tropical America and the Greater Antilles, citing 



