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Crass REPTILIA.

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Orper CHELONIA.

Trsropo.—The Tortoise, or Turtle.

This genus of reptiles is distinguished by having the body
enclosed in a double case or shell, which allows the head
and neck, the tail and four limbs to protrude: they are
quiet, harmless animals, almost unequalled for longevity,
very slow in their movements, and obtuse in all their sen-
sations. They generally inhabit the warmer regions of the
earth, though many species will bear the cold of northern
climates, where they pass the winter in a state of torpor.
The genus is divided into land and aquatic animals, known by
the respective names of tortoises and turtles ; in the former
the upper shell, or shield, is much more arched than in the
latter, the flatter form of the turtle being suitable to move-
ment in a liquid medium ; the feet have also a different form,
being more compressed, and somewhat like a paddle.