THE COMMON TORTOISE. 9 



sion of a lady of his acquaintance upwards of thirty 

 years. It regularly retired under ground about the 

 middle of November, from whence it did not 

 emerge till the middle of April. Its appetite was 

 always most voracious in the height of summer, eat- 

 ing very little either in spring or autumn. Milky 

 plants, such as lettuces, dandelions and sowthistles, 

 were its principal food. In scraping the ground to 

 form its winter retreat, it used its fore-feet, and threw 

 up the earth with its hinder ones over its back ; 

 but the motion of its legs was so slow as scarcely to 

 exceed the hour hand of a clock. It worked with 

 the utmost assiduity, both night and day, in scoop- 

 ing out the earth, and forcing its great body into the 

 cavity ; notwithstanding which the operation occu- 

 pied more than a fortnight before it was completed. 

 It was always extremely alarmed when surprised by 

 a sudden shower of rain during its peregrinations for 

 food. Though its shell would have secured it from 

 injury, even if run over by the wheel of a loaded 

 cart, yet it discovered as much solicitude about rain 

 as a lady dressed in her most elegant attire, shuf- 

 fling away on the first sprinklings, and always, if 

 possible, running its head up into a corner. — When 

 the Tortoise is attended to, it becomes an excellent 

 barometer : when it walks elate, and, as it were, on 

 tiptoe, feeding with great earnestness, in a morning, 

 it will, almost invariably, be found to rain before 

 night. — Mr. White was much pleased with the sa- 

 gacity of the above animal, in distinguishing those 

 from whom it was accustomed to receive attention : 

 whenever the good old lady came in sight, who had 

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