SMALL MUD TORTOISE. 
plainly, as the description was avowedly writ- 
ten by his worthy friend." 
The different uses which these two ingeni- 
ous and intelligent gentlemen assign to the 
armed tail of this Tortoise, seem merely spe- 
culative. Our readers may, also, if they 
please, speculate in their turn : for our own 
parts, we see nothing more in the circumstance, 
than the same bountiful provision of Nature 
to guard this little animal's tail, as the other 
parts, by furnishing it with a somewhat simi- ' 
lar armour; probably, because that member is 
not capable of being otherwise so well pro- 
te6led from attacks to which it may be peculi- 
arly exposed. We do not, however, under- 
take to penetiate into all the wonderful de- 
signs of Nature ; which, we conceive, are 
freq^uently inscrutable to man. 
This .Small Mud Tortoise is figured, in the 
annexed print, nearly of the natural size. 
