though some are decorated with most splendid skins. Many of them exhale a loathsome odour, owing perhaps to the foulness of their abode, or the substances on which they feed. Their voices are either harsh and unmusical, or else the animals are entirely dumb. Most of the Amphibia are oviparous: the eggs of some species are covered with a hard calcareous shell; and those of others have a soft tough skin, or covering, resembling parchment: the eggs of several, as the Frog, Toad, &c. are perfectly gelatinous. In those species that are viviparous, the eggs are regularly formed, but hatched internally, and the young are extruded in perfection: this is the case with the Viper and some others. In cold and temperate climates nearly all the Amphibia pass the winter in a torpid state.

They are divided by Linnæus into two orders: Reptiles and Serpents*.

1. Reptiles. These are furnished with feet, and have flat naked ears without auricles. The principal genera are the Tortoises, Lizards, and Frogs.

2. Serpents. These have no feet, but move by the assistance of scales, and their general powers of contortion. Their jaws are dilatable, and not articulated. They have neither fins nor ears.

* Reptilia and Serpentes.

AMPHIBIOUS ANIMALS.

THE TORTOISE TRIBE.

THIS

HIS is one of the dullest and most sluggish of all the animated tribes. Those species that live on land subsist on worms and snails; the others, that inhabit the ocean, feed principally on sea-weeds.

Their body is defended by a bony covering, coated by a horny, scaly, or a cartilaginous integu ment. The upper jaw closes over the lower like the lid of a box.

This integument or shell consists of two plates joined together at the edges: the upper part is convex, convex, and, in general, is made up of thirteen plates in the middle, surrounded by a margin containing twenty-four. These are connected with the back-bone, and may be considered as ribs. At each end of the two united shells is a hole; the one for the head, neck, and fore-feet to pass through, and the other, at the opposite end, for the hind-feet and tail. From these shells the animal is never disengaged, and they defend it sufficiently from every enemy but man.

The head is small, and, in the place of teeth, has

hard and bony ridges. The strength of the jaws is said to be so great, that it is impossible to open them when once they have fastened. Even when the head is cut off the muscles retain a surprising degree of rigidity.

The legs are short, but inconceivably strong: one of the larger species has been known to carry five men, all at the same time, on his back, with great apparent ease and unconcern.

However clumsy and awkward these animals may appear in their manners, they are, for the most part, extremely gentle and peaceable; and few, except the Loggerhead and Fierce Turtles, make any resistance when taken. No animals whatever are more tenacious of life: even if their head be cut off and their chest is opened they will continue to live for several days.-They pass the cold season in a state of torpidity.

The Marine Tortoises or Turtles are distinguished from the others by their large and long fin-shaped feet, in which are inclosed the bones of the toes; the first and second only of each foot having visible or projecting claws. The shield, as in the others, consists of a strong bony covering, in which are embedded the ribs: in one or two species this is much thicker and more strong than the shields of Land Tortoises.

Of the Tortoises, there are in the whole about thirty-six species: four marine, about eighteen inhabiting the fresh waters, and the rest residing on and.

THE COMMON TORTOISE *.

1

The Common, Tortoise is found in most of the countries near the Mediterranean sea, in Corsica, Sardinia, and some of the islands of the Archipelago, as well as in many parts of the North of Africa.

The length of its shell is seldom more than eight or nine inches, nor does its weight often exceed three pounds. The shell, which, as in most of the other species, is composed of thirteen middle pieces and about twenty-five marginal ones, is of an oval form, extremely convex, and broader towards the hind part than before. The middle part is blackish brown varied with yellow. The under part or belly of the shell is of a pale yellow, with a broad dark line down each side, leaving the middle part plain. The head is not large, nor does the opening of the mouth extend beyond the eyes: the upper part is covered with somewhat irregular scales. The legs are short, and feet moderately broad and covered with strong ovate scales. The tail is somewhat shorter than the legs it is also covered with scales, but terminates in a horny tip.

This species resides principally in burrows that it forms in the ground, where it sleeps the greatest part of its time, appearing abroad only a few hours in the middle of the day. In the autumn it hides itself for the winter, remaining torpid for four or five months,

* SYNONYMS.-Testudo Græca. Linn.-Common Land Tortoise. Greek Tortoise.Shaw's Gen. Zool. vol. 3. tab. 1.

and not again making its appearance till the spring. • About the beginning of June, the female scratches a hole in some warm situation, in which she deposits her four or five eggs. These are hatched in Septem, ber, at which time the young are not larger than á walnut.

These Tortoises have often been brought into England. The Rev. Mr. White of Selborne attended accurately to the manners of one that was in possession of a lady of his acquaintance upwards of thirty years. It regularly retired under ground about the middle of November, from whence it did not emerge till the middle of April. Its appetite was always most voracious in the height of summer, eating very little either in spring or autumn. Milky plants, such as lettuces, dandelions and sowthistles, were its principal food. In scraping the ground to form its winter retreat it used its fore-feet, and threw up the earth with its hinder ones over its back; but the motion of its legs was so slow as scarcely to exceed the hour hand of a clock. It worked with the utmost assiduity, both night and day, in scooping out the earth, and forcing its great body into the cavity; notwithstanding which the operation occupied more than a fortnight before it was completed. It was always extremely alarmed when surprised by a sudden shower of rain during its peregrinations for food. Though its shell would have secured it from injury even if run over by the wheel of a loaded cart, yet it discovered as much solicitude about rain as a lady dressed in her most elegant attire, shuffling away on the first sprinklings, and always,