150 WASTE-LAND WANDERINGS. 



found to be distinctly cut upon the plastron, " J. Abbott, 

 1821." A close examination conclusively showed there 

 could be no mistake in the date, and it was evident that 

 sixty -four years ago my grandfather had found and 

 marked the tortoise in the manner described. I found 

 the animal within a hundred yards of the house then 

 occupied by my grandfather, and it is probable, there- 

 fore, that at or near this same spot the creature was 

 found and marked more than half a century ago. 



The tortoise was by no means a large specimen, meas- 

 tiring but four and one-half inches in length, by a little 

 less than four in width. Evidences of great age, how- 

 ever, were not wanting. The edge of the upper shell 

 had been broken, and the fractured part worn very 

 smooth. The yellow markings of both the upper and 

 lower shells were much less prominent than is usual. 

 There was no evidence of any appreciable increase in 

 size since the name and date mentioned were cut. 



Previous to November, 1885, 1 had never found any 

 very young box-tortoises. On the 19th of that month 

 I met with a single specimen. It was found on the 

 edge of a shallow pond, in very damp earth, and 1 judged 

 from this fact that such a locality, if indeed not open 

 water, was preferred by these creatures, when young, to 

 the high and dry fields and woodland where the adults 

 are usually found. How far I was right — if I am right — 

 in my surmise, the subsequent eventful career of this 

 young tortoise may serve to show. On the same day I 

 placed it in a large aquarium, so arranged that it could 

 remain on dry land, in or on damp earth, or beneath the 

 water. The animal's actions clearly showed that water 



