•opinion from what I have remarked during fome of our late fprings,
that though fome fwallows did make their appearance about the
ufual time, viz. the thirteenth or fourteenth of April, yet meeting
with an harih reception, and bluftering cold north-eaft winds, they
immediately withdrew, abfconding for feveraldays, till the weather
gave them better encouragement.
L E T T E R XIII.
TO T H E S A M E .
35E A R S I R , . ^ A p r il 12, 1772.
W h i l e I was in Svffex laft autumn my refidence was at the village
near Lewes, from whence I had formerly the pleafure of writing to
you. On the firft of November I remarked that the old tortoife,
formerly mentioned, began firft to dig the ground in order to the
forming it’s hybernaculum, which it had fixed on juft befide a
great tuft of hepaticas. It fcrapes out the ground with it’s fore-feet,
and throws it up over it’s back with it’s hind; but the motion of
it’s legs is ridiculoufly flow, little exceeding the hour-hand of a
clock; and fuitable to the compofure of an animal faid to. be a
whole month in performing one feat of copulaO'on. Nothing can
be more affiduous than this creature night and day in fcooping the
earth, and forcing it’s great body into the cavity; but, as the noons
of that feafon proved unufually warm and funny, it was continually
interrupted, and called forth by the heat in the middle of the day;
and
149
and though I continued there till the thirteenth of November, yet
the work remained unfiniihed. Harfher weather, and frofty
mornings, would have quickened it’s operations. No part of it’s
behaviour ever ftruck me more than the extreme timidity it always
exprefles with regard to rain ; for though it has a Ihell that would
fecure it againft the wheel of a loaded cart, yet does it difcover
as much folicitude about rain as a lady dreffed in all her beft attire,
Ihuffling away on the firft fprinklings, and running it’s head up in
a corner. I f attended to, it becomes an excellent weather-glafs;
for as fure- as it walks elate, and as it were on tiptoe, feeding with
great earneftnefs in a morning, fo fure will it rain before night.
It is totally a diurnal animal, and never pretends to ftir after it becomes
dark. The tortoife, like other reptiles, has an arbitrary
ftomach as well as lungs; and can refrain from eating as well as
breathing for a great part of the year. When firft awakened it eats
nothing; nor again in the autumn before it retires : through the
height of the fummer it feeds voracioufly, devouring all the food
that comes in it’s way. I was much taken with it’s fagacity in dif-
cerning thofe that do it kind offices : for, as foon as the good old.
lady comes in fight who has waited on it for more than thirty years,
it hobbles towards it’s benefa&refs with aukward alacrity; but remains
inattentive to ftrangers. Thus not only “ the-, ox. knoweth
Mummer, and the afs his mafier’s cribb,” but the moft abjeft reptile
anil torpid 6f beings diftinguifhes the hand that feeds it, and is
touched with the feelings of gratitude !
I am, &c. &c.
P. S. In about three days after I left Suffix the tortoife retired
into the ground under the hepatica.
m11
m
b Jfaiah i. 3-
L E T T E R
III f l i i iff