TORTOISES 
quently found was the enormous accumulation of fluid. 
The animals apparently had dropsy, from the flaccid and 
soft condition of the flesh and the filling up the whole 
of the body with water; in fact, they all appeared to 
have been in a dropsical condition, which was the cause 
of death. 
HISTORY AND TREATMENT OF TORTOISES. 
The tortoise is as little known, understood, and cared 
for as most of the reptile tribe. Quiet and harmless, un- 
suspected of having evil propensities, and not being feared 
in the least, they pass slowly on their way, without 
creating much interest, or attracting much attention. 
They are, nevertheless, of much importance as an article 
of food, and are much sought for, more especially the 
kinds that are aquatic, by the natives of the countries 
which they inhabit. The eggs of tortoises, both land and 
water, are collected and sold in enormous quantities 
during the breeding season. The eggs of tortoises hatch 
without the aid or assistance of the parents, who deposit 
them in situations best suited to their development ; the 
young ones have therefore to look out for themselves. 
They sometimes, however, hatch under very different con- 
ditions, as the following incident will show : — An officer 
who was engaged in the Russian war, while in the Crimea, 
found some small, round, white eggs; not knowing the 
animal that had laid them, he carefully packed them in 
his pistol case wrapped in avooI. Judge his surprise, on 
unpacking them in England, to find his pistol case con- 
tained several living Avater tortoises that had hatched out 
during the time he had been travelling home. These 
animals, of which there are many genera and various 
forms, differ in habits, food, and mode of life. 
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