TORTOISES 



quently found was the enormous accumulation of fluid. 

 The animals apparently had dropsy, from the flaccid and 

 soft condition of the flesh and the filling up the whole 

 of the body with water; in fact, they all appeared to 

 have been in a dropsical condition, which was the cause 

 of death. 



HISTORY AND TREATMENT OF TORTOISES. 



The tortoise is as little known, understood, and cared 

 for as most of the reptile tribe. Quiet and harmless, un- 

 suspected of having evil propensities, and not being feared 

 in the least, they pass slowly on their way, without 

 creating much interest, or attracting much attention. 

 They are, nevertheless, of much importance as an article 

 of food, and are much sought for, more especially the 

 kinds that are aquatic, by the natives of the countries 

 which they inhabit. The eggs of tortoises, both land and 

 water, are collected and sold in enormous quantities 

 during the breeding season. The eggs of tortoises hatch 

 without the aid or assistance of the parents, who deposit 

 them in situations best suited to their development ; the 

 young ones have therefore to look out for themselves. 

 They sometimes, however, hatch under very different con- 

 ditions, as the following incident will show : — An officer 

 who was engaged in the Russian war, while in the Crimea, 

 found some small, round, white eggs ; not knowing the 

 animal that had laid them, he carefully packed them in 

 his pistol case wrapped in wool. Judge his surprise, on 

 unpacking them in England, to find his pistol case con- 

 tained several living water tortoises that had hatched out 

 during the time he had been travelling home. These 

 animals, of which there are many genera and various 

 forms, differ in habits, food, and mode of life. 



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