1915.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 113 



behind; reddish-yellow, with deep brown rectangular grooves at 

 inner and posterior edges of plates; interstices between hinges, and 

 sutures between plates wide. Neck long; skin loose and much 

 Avrinkled; black above, sordid white beneath. Head comparatively 

 large; black or brown above, occasionally spotted with yellow or 

 greenish-yellow on sides, uniform white or yellow beneath; upper 

 mandible with strong curved blunt hook. Legs unmarked, brown- 

 black; claws long, strong and sharp. Tail thick and suddenly 

 acuminate at extremity. Average length of carapace 3| inches, 

 width 2| inches; plastron 3^ inches in length by 2 inches in width; 

 height of shell 1| inches; width of head | inch. 



The time during which the specimens were collected (May and 

 June) seemed to be the egg-laying season. A fine large female 

 (C. U., No. 6,456) was taken on the nest in the act of egg-laying, 

 June 11, 1912, and three eggs were found with the specimen. The 

 nest was in rotten wood by the side of a dead log and the eggs were 

 deposited at a depth of three inches below the surface of the decayed 

 Avood. In the stomach of a king snake {Ophibolus getulus) (C. U., 

 No. 6,138) taken on Billy's Island, June 11, 1912, was found one 

 egg of Cinosternum pennsrjlvanicum, together with two eggs of 

 Chrysem.ys floridana. Another king snake (C. U., No. 6,146) taken 

 on Billy's Island had what was apparently the shells of Cinosternum 

 eggs in its stomach, and a third snake of the same species also taken 

 on Billy's Island had in its stomach a large number of crushed and 

 finely broken shells of the same kind of eggs. Finally, Mr. Harper 

 relates how he and Dave Lee stumbled upon a king snake, and when 

 they had recovered they found a small Cinosternum digging in the 

 sand — all of which seems strong circumstantial evidence to prove 

 the snake was on hand to scoop the eggs the instant they were laid. 

 These turtles, therefore, evidently come up to the woody parts of 

 the islands during this season to deposit their eggs, which often 

 furnish food for the snakes and, according to the Lees, also for other 

 animals of the swamp. 



A number of the eggs of this turtle were collected, but owing to 

 the evaporation of the liquid from the containers in which they 

 were placed, none were preserved in a condition satisfactory for 

 accurate description or measurements. The eggs were elliptical, 

 approximately 30 mm. long by 15 mm. in diameter and of a pinkish- 

 white color. The shells seem to be slightly more brittle and appar- 

 ently less granular than those of Chrysemys floridana. 



