Chap. IX.] 



TERRAPINS. 



291 



the choice of its food. Some of them live upon animal 

 as well as vegetable food, and those which subsist 

 exclusively on the former, are noted as having the flat- 

 test shells. 



The terrapins lay about thirty eggs in the course of 

 several weeks, and these are round, with a calcareous 

 shell. They thrive in captivity, provided that they have 

 a regular supply of water and of meat, cut into small 

 pieces and thrown to them. The tropical species, if 

 transferred to a colder climate, should have arrange- 

 ments made for enabling them to hybernate during 

 the winter : they will die in a very short time if exposed 

 to a temperature below the freezing point. 1 



The edible turtle 2 is found on all the coasts of the 

 island, and sells for a few shillings or a few pence, ac- 

 cording to its size and abundance at the moment. A 

 very repulsive spectacle is exhibited in the markets of 

 Jaffna by the mode in which the flesh of the turtle is 

 sold piece-meal, whilst the animal is still alive, by the 

 families of the Tamil fishermen. The creatures are to be 

 seen in the market-place undergoing this frightful mu- 

 tilation ; the plastron and its integuments having been 

 previously removed, and the animal thrown on its back, 

 so as to display all the motions of the heart, viscera, 

 and lungs. A broad knife, from twelve to eighteen 

 inches in length, is first inserted at the left side, and 

 the women, who are generally the operators, introduce 



1 Of the Emys trijuga, the fresh areola situated in the upper poste- 



water tortoise figured on preceding rior corner. Shell brown, with the 



page, the technical characteristics areolae and the keels yellowish; 



are;— vertical plates lozenge-shaped; head brown, with a yellow streak 



shell convex and oval ; with three over each eye. 



more or less distinct longitudinal 2 Chelonia virgata, Schweig. 

 keels ; shields corrugated ; with 



u 2 



