LECTURE Vll. 
n 
in the accounts of animals published long ago 
by the French Academy. It grows to the length 
of four feet, and is entirely of a dull brown co- 
lour without any variegations. It is one of the 
numerous species confounded by the Count de 
Cepede with the Common Tortoise or T. Grasca^ 
Of the river or fresh water Tortoises one of the 
most remarkable is tho T. ftrox or fierce Tor- 
toise, a native of many parts of North America, 
and first described by Mr. Pennant in the Philo^ 
sophical Transactions ,: its shield or shell is hard 
or bony only in the middle 3 the edges being soft 
and flexible : its colour is brown above and white 
beneath 3 the head is small, with a long, pointed 
snout, and a very long neck which is at pleasure 
withdrawn into the shell : the feet are very widely 
webbed. Unlike the rest of the tribe, it is an 
animal of swift motion, and when disturbed, 
springs forward with great fury to attack its -as- 
sailant : its usual length is from one to two feet 3 
but it is sometimes found far larger. It feeds 
on various water-animals as well as on vegetable 
substances. 
The Sea Tortoises, or Turtles as they are com- 
monly called, are distinguished from the rest by 
nECT. II. 
c 
