THE COMMON TORTOISE. II 



the year 1753, a hundred and twenty years after- 

 wards ; and at last it perished, from an unfortunate 

 neglect of the gardener*. — In the year 1765, a Tor- 

 toise was living in the garden of Samuel Simmons, 

 Esq. at Sandwich in Kent, which was known to 

 have been there from about the year 1679, but 

 how long before that period no one could say with 

 certainty. There is, however, good reason for sup- 

 posing it to have been brought thither from the 

 West Indies by a gentleman of the name of Boys, 

 who was owner of the premises several years before 

 the first period. This animal died in the winter of 

 j 7 67. It appeared that it had endeavoured (ac- 

 cording to its annual custom) to burrow into the 

 ground ; but having selected for this purpose a spot 

 near an old vine, its progress was obstructed by the 

 roots, and it probably had not strength enough to 

 change its situation, as it was found dead with only 

 half its body covered. About thirty years before 

 its death, it got out of the garden, and was much 

 injured by the wheel of a loaded waggon, which 

 went over it, and cracked its upper shell f. 



The horrid experiments of Rhedi, to prove the 

 extreme vital tenacity of the Tortoise, are a disgrace 

 to the philosophic page. In one instance he made 

 a large opening in the skull, and drew out all the 

 brain, washing the cavity, so as not to leave the 

 smallest part remaining, and then, with the hole 

 open, set the animal at liberty. It marched off, as 



* Bib. Topog. Brit. No. xxvii. 



f Qentleman's Magazine, vol. Iv. p. 253. 



