HYBERNATION OF TORTOISES. 
415 
disappear is the end of October, seemingly without 
fail. Next, they select a sunny situation for their 
inhumation. One which my brother possessed, first 
buried itself for the depth of two feet against a wall 
facing S. E. and under a myrtle tree; dissatisfied 
with this place it came forth again, and disappeared 
under a wall facing S. W. Again it came up and 
retired to its first spot, but quitted abruptly, and 
betook itself to the angle between two walls facing 
respectively S. and W. and a situation also which 
happened to be damp. Perfect seclusion from the 
air seemed to be the animal’s intent in the choice 
of this spot, having also an instinctive perception 
of the warmest place of retreat; and it is remarkable 
that some poultry occupying the same garden in¬ 
variably withdrew all the winter to the same spot 
to sun themselves at noon,—no bad instance of 
similarity of animal feeling in creatures totally 
separate in form, but one only out of a vast number 
which Naturalists discover continually ; Mr. White 
for instance observes that his tortoise came forth 
simultaneously with snails from their respective 
winter sleeps. Again, the nice discrimination of 
heat is evinced by the fact that while my brother’s 
tortoise disappeared on October 31st, 1837, with 
the temperature of the air at 56 0 Faht., it rose on 
March 27th, with the temperature of the soil around 
it at 57°! Again in 1836, this tortoise issued forth 
April 15th, and one kept by a gentleman in this 
village, nearly simultaneously, that is to say on the 
16th. In the very backward and inclement spring 
of 1837, they both kept in their quarters till May 2nd 
or 3rd. Lastly, it seems that tortoises are in their 
way excellent barometers, displaying an exquisite 
sensitiveness to change of air, and retiring to shel¬ 
ter a long while before the descent of rain or other 
atmospheric alterations inducing depressed heat. 
I conclude therefore, in consideration of our winters 
