TORTOISES 



The age to which they are said to live is probably 

 merely fabulous. It is, however, certain that they grow 

 slowly, and that they attain a good old age. Some species 

 are of immense size. The measured length of the outer 

 shell of a large Indian tortoise (T. elephantina) was found 

 to be 4 ft. 3 in., the circumference 6 ft. 6 in. This 

 animal is said to have weighed 400 lbs., and as the ap- 

 pearance of many animals that grow to a large size lead 

 us to regard them as being very old, we are induced 

 to place faith in their antiquity. However, be that as 

 it may, it is not many years since it was generally 

 believed that the rhinoceros required fifty years to com- 

 plete its growth, and would then live till it was up- 

 wards of two hundred years old. We now know that 

 those accounts were fables, as the rhinoceros is fully 

 grown at the age of eight or ten years, and that it 

 most probably dies of old age before it has seen forty 

 summers. 



Large numbers of the common tortoise (Testudo grceca) 

 are brought to London, and are offered for sale about the 

 streets by the costermongers ; the price varies from four 

 pence to two shillings each. It is great fun to witness 

 the artful dodges practised by such dealers in well-known, 

 but little understood, animals ; the strange questions of 

 the buyers, and the quaint answers of the vendors, are as 

 remarkable as they are suited to the occasion. " What 

 are they good for ? " asks an old lady. " What do you 

 want it to do, marm ? " " Well, my kitchen swarms with 

 black beetles." " Ah ! " says the costermonger, " they are 

 dead nuts on black beetles." The tortoise is forthwith paid 

 for and carried off. The next customer is induced to become 

 a purchaser on being assured of the skill of the animal in 

 catching mice, etc. etc., or, should the slightest hint be 

 given of a garden, you are gratuitously informed that 



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