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THE TORTOISE. 



This is another creature whose claims to be " petted " rest 

 not at all on its merits or its utility, but solely on the fact that 

 on account of its curious structure and habits it has been kid- 

 napped from its native land, where, in a state of freedom, it 

 was quite competent to conduct the business of its life, and 

 brought to a foreign clime, and so placed that its natural 

 talents avail it nothing, and it is quite helpless and at our 

 mercy. 



Without doubt, the tortoise belongs to a family the most 

 marvellous in the world. Their feet are Uttle better than 

 stumps, the toes being only indicated externally by what may 

 be termed a coUeotion of hoofs, placed, as in the elephant, on 

 the circumference of the apology for a foot, and which serves 

 so to speak, as a sort of grappHng to hold on the surface of 

 the ground, and drag the armed trunk forwards ; their pon- 

 derous shells, over which a waggon-wheel might roll with 

 impunity, are so sensitive that the patteriug on them of a 

 shower of rain is an annoyance the creature will make pro- 

 digious exertions to escape ; their tenacity of life is without 

 parallel ; indeed, they would seem almost impregnable against 

 the assa.ults of the most formidable enemies to existence. The 

 most oluel experiments have been practised on the creature, 

 and with most singular results. 



We are told that in a certain November, the celebrated Eedi 

 made a large opening in the skull of a land-tortoise, extracted 

 the brains and cleaned out the cavity. He then set the animal 



