DEAD WILLOW BEND. 151 



was necessary for its existence. To further test this, I 

 placed it for twenty-four hours in a vessel containing 

 dry earth, and it gave unquestionable evidences of suffer- 

 ing and inability to remain for any significant length of 

 time in a comparatively dry atmosphere. 



Replacing it in the aquarium, it immediately burrowed 

 into the soft mud, as deeply as it could, and there re- 

 mained without moving from these semi-aquatic quar- 

 ters. By stretching its neck to the utmost, and rising 

 upon its fore-feet, its nose reached just above the shallow 

 film of open water, and I suppose that it occasionally re- 

 filled its lungs in this manner, as I found that by gently 

 disturbing it, it invariably emitted a small bubble of air. 

 In this position, and with only so much exercise as the 

 stretching of its neck afforded it, the tortoise remained 

 for. thirty-four days. 



I then placed it in a smaller vessel partly filled with 

 sphagnum, and moved it to a warmer room. So long as 

 there was sufficient water to enable the tortoise to keep 

 submerged, it was contented, or at least quiet. As soon 

 as, by evaporation, the water decreased to a certain point, 

 the restlessness on the part of the tortoise indicated dis- 

 comfort ; which was promptly relieved by adding more 

 water to the moss. One swallow does not make a sum- 

 mer, but the action of this box-tortoise leads me to be- 

 lieve that when so young that their under and upper 

 shells do not meet, these Chelonians are more aquatic 

 than terrestrial in their habits. 



A word further as to their powers of withstanding the 

 rigors of winter. That they hibernate is well known ; 

 but they do not get beyond the reach of frost when 



