﻿MUSK 
  TURTLE. 
  361 
  

  

  sounds" 
  by 
  rubbing 
  together 
  the 
  patches 
  of 
  horny 
  tubercles 
  which 
  occur 
  on 
  the 
  hind 
  legs, 
  but 
  

   I 
  have 
  never 
  observed 
  it. 
  Upon 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  cold 
  weather 
  it 
  burrows 
  into 
  the 
  mud 
  and 
  

   hibernates 
  until 
  spring. 
  

  

  Agassiz 
  (1857, 
  vol. 
  1, 
  p. 
  350) 
  thus 
  records 
  his 
  observations 
  of 
  certain 
  movements 
  of 
  this 
  

   turtle: 
  "The 
  maimer 
  of 
  withdrawing 
  the 
  legs 
  is 
  very 
  peculiar. 
  The 
  fore 
  legs 
  are 
  carried 
  round 
  

   before 
  the 
  body; 
  the 
  elbow, 
  somewhat 
  raised, 
  is 
  carried 
  directly 
  back 
  by 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  

   and 
  neck 
  into 
  the 
  scapular 
  arch, 
  the 
  skin 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  rolling 
  off 
  towards 
  the 
  feet 
  and 
  

   shoulders, 
  and 
  leaving 
  its 
  muscles 
  as 
  naked 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  neck 
  and 
  scapular 
  arch 
  about 
  it; 
  

   the 
  forearm 
  is 
  turned 
  back, 
  but 
  not 
  quite 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  humerus; 
  the 
  hand 
  is 
  either 
  laid 
  in 
  against 
  

   the 
  head 
  and 
  neck, 
  or 
  turned 
  back 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  humerus 
  .... 
  The 
  hind 
  legs 
  are 
  withdrawn 
  nearly 
  

   horizontally, 
  the 
  knees 
  Uke 
  the 
  elbows, 
  though 
  in 
  a 
  less 
  degree, 
  stripped 
  of 
  the 
  skin; 
  the 
  foreleg 
  

   is 
  turned 
  back 
  upon 
  the 
  femur, 
  and 
  the 
  foot 
  again 
  turned 
  forward 
  upon 
  the 
  foreleg. 
  The 
  tail 
  

   is 
  turned 
  to 
  one 
  side. 
  The 
  head 
  is 
  drawn 
  back 
  to 
  within 
  the 
  scapular 
  arch, 
  the 
  skin 
  rolling 
  

   off 
  from 
  the 
  neck, 
  but 
  not 
  folding 
  together 
  before 
  the 
  head, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Emydoidae." 
  

  

  In 
  confinement 
  this 
  turtle 
  is 
  very 
  shy. 
  Gadow 
  (1901, 
  p. 
  344) 
  describes 
  the 
  actions 
  of 
  his 
  

   captive 
  specimens 
  as 
  follows: 
  "It 
  is 
  mainly 
  aquatic, 
  and 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  dullest 
  and 
  shyest 
  .spe- 
  

   cies. 
  My 
  own 
  specimens 
  spend 
  most 
  of 
  their 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  invariably 
  in 
  the 
  darkest 
  

   corners, 
  preferably 
  imder 
  a 
  stone 
  or 
  a 
  log, 
  and 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  leave 
  their 
  hiding 
  places 
  until 
  dark, 
  

   in 
  search 
  of 
  worms, 
  meat, 
  and 
  all 
  sorts 
  of 
  animal 
  food. 
  For 
  months 
  I 
  could 
  never 
  induce 
  them 
  

   to 
  take 
  food 
  from 
  a 
  stick, 
  or 
  even 
  to 
  eat 
  in 
  my 
  presence, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  until 
  after 
  many 
  weeks 
  

   that 
  one 
  of 
  them 
  at 
  last 
  protruded 
  its 
  head 
  enough 
  to 
  exhibit 
  the 
  yellow 
  stripes. 
  When 
  taken 
  

   out 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  they 
  draw 
  in 
  their 
  heads, 
  just 
  allowing 
  the 
  vicious 
  Uttle 
  eyes 
  to 
  be 
  visible, 
  and 
  

   opening 
  the 
  sharp-edged 
  mouth 
  widely 
  to 
  bite 
  deliberately 
  and 
  furiously 
  at 
  the 
  unwary 
  finger. 
  

   Some 
  spent 
  the 
  winter 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  in 
  the 
  greenhouses, 
  feeding 
  as 
  usual, 
  others 
  crept 
  on 
  land, 
  

   hiding 
  under 
  moss, 
  half 
  buried 
  in 
  the 
  soil, 
  where 
  they 
  slept 
  for 
  several 
  months, 
  but 
  with 
  inter- 
  

   ruptions 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  soak 
  and 
  to 
  drink. 
  When 
  spring 
  is 
  well 
  advanced 
  they 
  prefer 
  the 
  water 
  

   for 
  their 
  regular 
  sojourn. 
  Some 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  sent 
  over 
  from 
  New 
  York 
  arrived 
  in 
  a 
  deplor- 
  

   ably 
  dried-up 
  condition, 
  the 
  skin 
  being 
  quite 
  flabby 
  and 
  shrivelled, 
  but 
  after 
  a 
  few 
  hours' 
  

   soaking 
  they 
  came 
  round, 
  and 
  increased 
  considerably 
  in 
  weight, 
  the 
  limbs 
  and 
  neck 
  becoming 
  

   turgid." 
  

  

  Ditmars 
  (1907, 
  p. 
  21) 
  has 
  demonstrated 
  its 
  ability 
  to 
  lead 
  a 
  strictly 
  aquatic 
  existence. 
  

   "Its 
  movements 
  when 
  crawUng 
  about 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  an 
  aquarium 
  or 
  in 
  swimming 
  show 
  deli- 
  

   beration 
  and 
  perfect 
  ease 
  and 
  prove 
  the 
  creature's 
  fitness 
  for 
  exploring 
  the 
  muddy 
  beds 
  of 
  rivers. 
  

   As 
  an 
  experiment 
  the 
  writer 
  kept 
  several 
  specimens 
  in 
  a 
  deep 
  aquarium, 
  without 
  means 
  of 
  

   leaving 
  the 
  water, 
  or 
  obtaining 
  a 
  foothold 
  at 
  the 
  top, 
  to 
  breathe. 
  The 
  test 
  continued 
  for 
  sev- 
  

   eral 
  weeks. 
  These 
  turtles 
  either 
  crawled 
  about 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  tank 
  or 
  swam 
  leisurely 
  to 
  

   the 
  surface 
  for 
  a 
  breath 
  of 
  air. 
  They 
  fed 
  readily 
  and 
  from 
  all 
  indications 
  would 
  have 
  Uved 
  

  

  