692 Geometric Tortoises [Aug. 



remained altogether motionless, refusing to feed. They made no 

 attempt to burrow in the ground, as the Greek Tortoise (Testudo 

 GracaJ is said to do, but thrust themselves in among the coarse grass 

 which was heaped up in a corner of their enclosure. Until the 9th 

 February 1834 they remained in a state of lazy, listless repose, 

 having never stirred from the spot they bad chosen full two months 

 before. They were not however in a state of torpidity, but merely 

 lying inactive as if they thought it too much trouble to move. When 

 taken up they partially put forth the head to ascertain the cause of 

 their being disturbed, but even if placed full in the sun's rays and 

 left so all day, they never made the slightest attempt to move from 

 the spot ; as if they felt instinctively that the season in which their 

 services were intended to be of use in the general economy of nature 

 had not yet arrived. 



The 9th, 10th and 11th days of February being cloudy with a few 

 showers of rain, the Tortoises came forth and took some lucern, and 

 drank plentifully of water. They did not continue to come out, but 

 relapsed into their former repose, nor did they venture forth again in 

 the evening until the hot season had commenced, or about the middle 

 of April. The winter of 1 834 proved much milder than that of the 

 preceding year, and the Tortoises in consequence continued to come 

 forth for their supply of food, — but instead of doing so in the evening 

 as in the hot weather, they chose the middle of the day, remaining out 

 for two or three hours basking in the sun, and retiring again to con- 

 cealment in the afternoon. Sometimes the males did not come forth 

 for a day or two, but the females were to be seen every day placing 

 themselves close to the white walls of their enclosure, as if con- 

 scious that the rays of the sun would be thrown from it upon them. 



The marking of the shells is the same in both sexes, and they are 

 only to be distinguished by the difference in size and structure already 

 mentioned, and in the unequal length of tail, that of the male being 

 about twice the length of the female, the latter indeed possessing 

 almost none. 



In different individuals the yellow rays vary much in breadth, 

 some having them broad, others narrow. 



Both have the same number of scutella on the carapace which 

 consists of thirteen pieces on the disc and twenty-three marginal, 

 while the plastron or under shell contains fourteen pieces. 



The length of shell in the female is 10 inches, that of the male from 

 8 to S-| inches ; if measured longitudinally over the carapace the 

 length of the female is 13 inches and the male from 11| to 12 inches. 

 The scutella are black with yellow rays diverging from a yellow square 



