﻿348 
  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  "In 
  7 
  nests 
  the 
  following 
  number 
  of 
  eggs 
  were 
  counted 
  respectively: 
  118, 
  123, 
  128, 
  143, 
  

   136, 
  152.^ 
  Various 
  other 
  numbers 
  were 
  reported 
  by 
  a 
  fisherman 
  who 
  brought 
  eggs 
  to 
  the 
  

   laboratory. 
  In 
  one 
  case 
  he 
  brought 
  42 
  eggs, 
  and 
  reported 
  60 
  as 
  the 
  number 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  nest. 
  

  

  " 
  Form 
  of 
  nests. 
  — 
  The 
  top 
  eggs 
  were 
  about 
  13 
  inches 
  below 
  the 
  surface 
  (12, 
  12, 
  12^, 
  13, 
  13, 
  

   and 
  15 
  inches 
  being 
  the 
  actual 
  measurements 
  in 
  6 
  nests). 
  The 
  mass 
  of 
  eggs, 
  being 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  

   12 
  or 
  more 
  inches 
  deep, 
  the 
  lowest 
  eggs 
  were 
  from 
  20 
  to 
  26 
  inches 
  below 
  the 
  surface. 
  In 
  one 
  

   instance 
  the 
  eggs 
  were 
  removed 
  without 
  destrojdng 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  hole. 
  The 
  space 
  occupied 
  

   by 
  the 
  eggs 
  was 
  sub-spherical 
  with 
  fiat 
  top, 
  and 
  was 
  10 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  by 
  8 
  inches 
  deep. 
  

   This 
  nest 
  contained 
  only 
  123 
  eggs. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  changes 
  of 
  temperature 
  at 
  such 
  a 
  depth 
  during 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  a 
  day 
  were 
  not 
  followed, 
  

   but, 
  when 
  the 
  nests 
  were 
  taken 
  — 
  time 
  of 
  day 
  varying 
  from 
  6 
  to 
  11 
  A. 
  M. 
  — 
  the 
  temperatures 
  

   noted 
  showed 
  little 
  difference, 
  varying 
  from 
  26? 
  to 
  28 
  degrees 
  centigrade. 
  Sand 
  taken 
  from 
  

   the 
  side 
  of 
  one 
  nest 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  contain 
  3.8 
  percent 
  of 
  water. 
  

  

  "Location 
  of 
  nests. 
  — 
  In 
  the 
  cases 
  of 
  about 
  eight 
  nests 
  observed 
  by 
  the 
  writer, 
  and 
  in 
  every 
  

   other 
  case, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  known, 
  the 
  nests 
  were 
  located 
  either 
  just 
  below 
  or 
  just 
  on 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  

   slopes 
  of 
  the 
  steep 
  sand-dunes 
  that 
  Une 
  the 
  beach 
  on 
  Bogue 
  Banks. 
  Hence 
  the 
  distance 
  of 
  

   nests 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  varied 
  considerably. 
  The 
  elevation 
  of 
  the 
  nests 
  above 
  the 
  water 
  level 
  

   also 
  varied 
  considerably. 
  Without 
  means 
  of 
  making 
  accurate 
  observations 
  from 
  a 
  fixed 
  

   bench-mark, 
  a 
  spirit 
  level 
  and 
  vertical 
  rod 
  were 
  used 
  to 
  measure 
  the 
  approximate 
  elevations 
  

   of 
  these 
  nests. 
  For 
  three 
  elevations 
  taken 
  the 
  same 
  day, 
  a 
  distinct 
  line 
  on 
  the 
  beach 
  made 
  

   by 
  a 
  recent 
  very 
  high 
  tide 
  was 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  base. 
  The 
  elevation 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  at 
  

   the 
  nest, 
  above 
  the 
  base 
  line, 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  one 
  case 
  4.75 
  feet, 
  in 
  a 
  second, 
  5.7 
  feet, 
  and 
  in 
  

   a 
  third, 
  6.3 
  feet. 
  The 
  lowest 
  eggs 
  in 
  these 
  nests 
  would 
  thus 
  be 
  from 
  2.75 
  to 
  4.3 
  feet, 
  roughly, 
  

   above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  high 
  tide. 
  The 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  at 
  another 
  nest 
  was 
  washed 
  

   by 
  a 
  very 
  high 
  tide, 
  while 
  I 
  was 
  present; 
  yet 
  the 
  eggs 
  from 
  this 
  nest, 
  marked 
  and 
  left, 
  hatched 
  

   very 
  successfully. 
  The 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  sand-dunes, 
  and 
  not 
  the 
  distance 
  above 
  water, 
  seemed 
  to 
  

   be 
  the 
  chief 
  factor 
  in 
  determining 
  the 
  location 
  of 
  the 
  nest. 
  Almost 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  nests 
  were 
  made, 
  

   however, 
  in 
  regions 
  where 
  this 
  location 
  would 
  be 
  not 
  very 
  distant 
  from 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  

  

  "The 
  nests 
  were 
  found 
  along 
  the 
  beach 
  from 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  Hoop 
  Hole 
  Camp 
  (5 
  miles 
  west 
  

   of 
  Fort 
  Macon) 
  to 
  a,bout 
  four 
  miles 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  'Old 
  Steamer' 
  (a 
  local 
  landmark 
  formed 
  by 
  a 
  

   wreck 
  situated 
  about 
  10 
  miles 
  west 
  of 
  Fort 
  Macon). 
  The 
  search 
  was 
  not 
  continued 
  farther 
  

   west. 
  

  

  "Thus, 
  the 
  conditions 
  at 
  the 
  various 
  nests 
  were 
  rather 
  uniform 
  as 
  regards: 
  

   Location 
  at 
  foot 
  of 
  dunes. 
  

   Depth 
  and 
  form 
  of 
  nest. 
  

  

  Time 
  of 
  lajang, 
  in 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  all 
  nests 
  were 
  probably 
  made 
  at 
  night. 
  

   ' 
  Gadow 
  (1901, 
  p. 
  387) 
  cites 
  a 
  specimen 
  captured 
  on 
  the 
  Dutch 
  coast 
  in 
  1894 
  that 
  contained 
  1150 
  eggs. 
  

  

  