Title: New Life Stories
Author(s): David Attenborough
Release year: 2011
Publisher: Collins
Why in Database: Continuation of Life Stories. The turtle’s content is symbolic.
The first reference is about “tortoise-shells” butterflies that David is writing about (and that it’s getting harder and harder to see them):
Sadly there are far fewer butterflies in my London garden these days than they used to be. Once my buddleia bush was covered each summer with red admirals, peacocks, painted ladies and tortoise-shells. Now the appearance of just one of these is enough to call me outside.
The second mention is graphic and verbal, in two photos (attached below) you can see one of the works of the taxidermist, Waterton, in which he combined various animals. The caption for the photo alludes to this:
Waterton used his taxidermic skills to produce three dimensional allegories. This one, entitles “Ole Mr bull in trouble”, is made from the shell of an extraordinarily hairy tortoise which carries on its back a heavily spiked dragon-like creature with two bulky purses, one labelled National Debt and the other Eight Million Pounds. It is escorted by a gigantic millipede, two bloated toad-like creatures, one of which has wings, and a lizard holdinh its tail over its back like a lemur.
Author: XYuriTT
