184 BOTANIC GARDENS MENAGERIE 



to the Gardens. They ate kang kong {Ipomea aguatica). 

 They lived long and were eventually sold. 



Testudo amboinensis. 



The common box-tortoise, chiefly specimen, caught in 

 Singapore, lived well eating kang-kong. These animals used 

 not rarely to lay eggs, 2 at a time, very large for the size of 

 the animal, oblong white with very hard thick shells. They 

 deposited them in a corner of 'the enclosure and partly 

 covered them with sand. None were ever hatched. 



Daimonia subtrijuga. 



The Siamese tortoise presented by Capt. Flower, lived 

 but a short time and would not feed. It was discovered 

 later that it ate exclusively a blue mussel, unprocurable in 

 Singapore. 



Geomyda spinosa Gray. 



The red jungle tortoise, common on Bukit Timah, lived 

 easily in captivity. It eats leaves of kang kong etc. I have 

 found it eating agarics in the forests. 



Cyclemys platynota Gray. 



The flatbacked tortoise, caught in Singapore, is a dull 

 dirty looking tortoise which spends almost all its time under 

 the water. 



Chelone imbricata. 



The Hawk's bill turtle. A number of small ones were 

 presented to the gardens, but lived a short time only, as appar- 

 ently the fresh water was not suitable for them and their feet 

 became diseased. A larger one was obtained later, which its 

 former owner said refused food of all kinds. It was found 

 that it could not eat whole fish but if they were cut into bits 

 it ate them. It lived for some months only, swimming very 

 briskly about its tank but it appears these animals require 

 sea water. 



Jour, Straits Branch 



