1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
Our Common Tortoises or Turtles. 
The structure of the turtles presents many in¬ 
teresting points. Externally they seem so un¬ 
like other vertebrate animals that it is difficult 
to see how they arc classed with them. An in¬ 
spection of the interior shows distinctly that the 
spinal column is 
present; the por¬ 
tions of it belonging 
to the neck and 
tail being movable, 
while the interme¬ 
diate veriebree, to¬ 
gether with the ribs, 
are expanded and 
soldered together in 
such a way as to 
form the upper shell 
of the animal. The 
under shell, which 
is in part the breast¬ 
bone or sternum, is 
joined to the upper 
at each side. Our 
streams and woods 
afford several spe¬ 
cies, the most com¬ 
mon of which is the 
Spotted or Speckled 
'l\\vl\c(]S T anemyis gut¬ 
tata), which is read¬ 
ily distinguished by 
the j’ellow and or¬ 
ange dots upon its black shell. In the young 
the dots are upon the marginal plates only; but 
in the older ones the spots are on all parts of 
the back and present great variety in their size 
and distribution. The convexity of the shell 
varies considerably. It is probably the best 
known species, and may often be seen basking 
in the sun upon rocks or logs close to the water, 
from which they slip with remarkable rapidity 
when one approaches. They feed upon insects, 
frogs, and worms. 
When full grown 
the shell measures 4 
or5 inches in length. 
The young ones, an 
inch or two long, 
make amusing pets 
for the aquarium. 
Another very com¬ 
mon species, and a 
most interesting one, 
is the Box Turtle 
(Cistudo Viryinica ), 
which is found upon 
dryland throughout 
the Atlantic States, 
and in some of the 
Western ones. The 
color is usually a 
dull brown, and 
marked with yel¬ 
lowish stripes and 
splashes; but some 
have been found en¬ 
tirely black. The 
plastron, or lower 
shell, is divided 
transversely into two unequal parts, which 
move upon the same axis and enable the ani¬ 
mal to entirely conceal its head, tail, and legs. 
This peculiarity is recognized in the common 
name. This species is frequently kept in yards 
in a state of domestication, and it seems to be 
little disposed to wander. It conceals itself, by 
burrowing late in September, and reappears in 
spring. It feeds on insects and vegetables. 
Muhlenberg’s Tortoise (Calemys Muhlen - 
beryU), found in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 
and sparingly in New York, is a terrestrial 
species, 3’| 2 or 4 inches long, with a marked 
keel or ridge upon its upper shell, and the plates 
of the shell neatly marked by ridges and fur¬ 
rows. It is readily distinguished by a large, 
orange blotch upon each side of its neck. In 
popular language these animals are all called 
turtles. Some writers restrict this name to 
those species which are found in the sea, and 
call all the others tortoises. The name tortoise 
is believed to be a corruption of the Spanish 
tortuya, and that of turtle, which originally 
belonged to the dove, is supposed to have been 
derisively applied by sailors to the sea-tortoise. 
The Vulturine Guinea-Fowl. 
A bird which promises to be an acceptable 
addition to our list of domestic foivls has just 
now an interest for a large number of persons. 
We give an engraving of a species of Guinea- 
fowl, which has recently attracted the attention 
of the naturalists and poultry fanciers of Eng¬ 
land—the Vulturine Guinea-fowl. The speci¬ 
men arrived at the London Zoological Gardens 
from Africa via the Suez Canal. It is said to 
be common upon the east coast of Africa near 
the Equator, and though used there as an ar¬ 
ticle of food, it has heretofore only been known 
in England by a single museum specimen. It 
is described as “ pe¬ 
culiar in having the 
head and greater 
part of the neck de¬ 
void of feathers, and 
without any carun¬ 
cles, and in the pos¬ 
session of long or¬ 
namental hackles 
surrounding the 
base of the neck and 
breast.” The de¬ 
scription gives no 
idea of the size of 
the bird, nor does it 
state the color. We 
are informed that 
arrangements have 
been made for a sup¬ 
ply of the birds, and 
before long we may 
be able to learn 
something more of 
its history and hab¬ 
its. Those who have 
eaten the wild bird 
in Africa, speak of 
its good qualities as a table fowl. If capable 
of domestication, it may prove to be valuable. 
Curing Hat in the Cock.— We are not only 
in the habit of cutting our grass too late, but we 
give it too much sun, in our haste to finish the 
job in one daj r . This course may save labor, 
but it loses nourishment. It is not very much 
more laborious to cure hay in the cock. Cut 
the grass after the dew is off, and let it lie until 
the middle of the 
afternoon, and then 
bunch it in the usu¬ 
al way. Let it re¬ 
main in this condi¬ 
tion until the third 
day. Then shake 
up the cocks a little 
with a fork, bring¬ 
ing the bottom to 
the top, and let it 
remain until the 
next day. If it 
storms the hay will 
not harm much to 
lie over. If it is good 
weather, give it an 
hour or two of sun, 
and put in the barn. 
This course saves 
much of the labor of 
tedding and turn¬ 
ing. There is but 
one raking, and the 
quality of the hay is 
very much better 
than the sun-dried 
and hastily cured article. All the sweetness and 
aroma of the grass are retained; and the cattle 
eat it with a higher relish, and thrive better 
upon it. If one is furnished with hay caps 
there is very little risk in curing hay in this way. 
The capped cocks might stay in the field a 
week without harm. A farmer may use his hay- 
tedder quite too much for the good of his fodder. 
muhlenbekg’s tortoise. spotted tortoise. box tortoise. 
THE VULTURINE GUINEA-EOWL, 
