214 
THE LIVING WORLD. 
test the vitality of these creatures which he made in the month of November,, 
on the approach of cold weather when these animals begin to prepare for the 
winter by digging a hole in which to hibernate. He accordingly took a land 
tortoise, made a large opening in its skull, and drew out all the brain, washed 
the cavity, so as not to leave the smallest part remaining, and then leaving the 
hole open, set the animal at liberty. Notwithstanding this, the tortoise marched 
away without seeming to have received the smallest injury; only it shut the 
eyes, and never opened them afterwards. Soon after the hole in the skull was 
seen to close; and in three days there was a complete skin covering the wound. 
In this manner the animal lived without a brain for six months, walking about 
unconcernedly, and moving its limbs as before. But the Italian philosopher, 
not satisfied with this experiment, carried it still farther; for he cut off the 
head, and the animal lived twenty-three days after its separation from the body. 
The head also continued to rattle the jaws, like a pair of castanets, for above a. 
quarter of an hour. Notwithstanding the authority, I doubt the statement. 
The tortoise is oviparous, laying from eight to twelve eggs at a time, in a 
hole dug by her powerful claws some six inches deep, and always, I believe, in 
the hard earth and beneath the shade of either bush or trees. Their eggs are 
elliptical in shape and covered with a membrane of a leathery texture that is 
somewhat difficult to rupture, in which several respects they resemble the eggs 
of serpents, crocodiles, and lizards. The turtle, however, lays her eggs in the 
sand, selecting a spot where the sun’s rays are strongest, depending upon the 
sun to hatch them. Their eggs, quite unlike those of the tortoise, are spherical 
and covered with a lime shell which overlies a leathery integument of the same 
texture as that of the tortoise egg, so that the shell may be removed without 
rupturing the egg. No amount of boiling will serve to harden the yolk or 
albumen of either. 
Although there are many points of difference between the tortoise and tur¬ 
tle, both in structure and habit, so marked as to justify the separation of the 
two into distinct divisions, they are classed under one head by all naturalists, 
which classification I will not here depart from, especially as it will save some 
space to consider them together. The differences will appear as we proceed with 
the descriptions. 
The Lettered Tortoise (Emys lutaria ), also called the morass turtle , is a 
large variety, and common in many parts of the world, though most numerous 
in North America. It is more terrapin than tortoise, frequenting, as it does, 
ponds, lakes and marshy places. Its food is small snakes, lizards, frogs and 
worms, and in domestication, to which it is susceptible, will eat several kinds 
of vegetables, though its preference is for animal food. Its color is a dark- 
brown carapax edged with scarlet marks somewhat resembling letters, hence 
the name. 
Chicken Tortoise {Emys reticularia ) is very plentiful in nearly all the 
waters of the United States, though more common in ponds and creeks, where 
numbers may be seen sunning themselves on logs during the summer days. 
It is small in size, very awkward in movement, but extremely wary. When 
in the water it has a habit of stretching up its long neck and sticking the 
nose barely above the surface and floating about in a listless, lazy way, but 
quick to disappear at the sound of a foot-fall. Its flesh is said to be excellent 
and is occasionally sold in the markets, but it is not a popular dish. The 
