﻿366 
  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  several 
  minutes 
  it 
  made 
  no 
  movement 
  save 
  to 
  emit 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  bubbles 
  from 
  its 
  nostrils, 
  or 
  to 
  

   close 
  and 
  open 
  an 
  eye. 
  Then 
  it 
  proceeded 
  to 
  extend 
  and 
  retract 
  its 
  neck 
  slowly. 
  At 
  the 
  same 
  

   time 
  it 
  drew 
  water 
  into 
  its 
  mouth, 
  and 
  apparently 
  drank. 
  The 
  jaws 
  were 
  opened 
  and 
  closed 
  

   slowly. 
  In 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  jaws 
  ceased, 
  but 
  the 
  turtle 
  continued 
  to 
  draw 
  water 
  

   into 
  the 
  mouth 
  and 
  then 
  expel 
  it, 
  the 
  outdriven 
  current 
  setting 
  up 
  eddies 
  that 
  agitated 
  the 
  silt 
  

   on 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  basin. 
  In 
  a 
  few 
  more 
  minutes 
  the 
  turtle 
  became 
  more 
  alert 
  and 
  swam 
  

   and 
  walked 
  about, 
  thrusting 
  its 
  head 
  to 
  the 
  surface. 
  

  

  "When 
  the 
  turtle 
  was 
  first 
  found, 
  its 
  skin 
  was 
  dry 
  and 
  wrinkled. 
  The 
  animal 
  was 
  able 
  

   to 
  retract 
  its 
  head 
  and 
  tail 
  and 
  to 
  close 
  both 
  lobes 
  of 
  the 
  plastron 
  completely. 
  By 
  the 
  follow- 
  

   ing 
  morning 
  the 
  skin 
  about 
  its 
  legs 
  was 
  smooth 
  and 
  swollen, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  unable 
  to 
  withdraw 
  

   completely 
  into 
  its 
  shell, 
  owing 
  to 
  absorption 
  of 
  water. 
  

  

  "On 
  this 
  morning 
  (March 
  26) 
  the 
  turtle 
  was 
  killed 
  and 
  an 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  viscera 
  was 
  

   made. 
  It 
  was 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  stomach 
  contained 
  a 
  small 
  amount 
  of 
  whitish 
  mucus, 
  part 
  of 
  

   which 
  was 
  mixed 
  with 
  earth. 
  The 
  small 
  intestine 
  was 
  contracted 
  and 
  entirely 
  empty. 
  The 
  

   upper 
  third 
  had 
  thickened 
  walls 
  and 
  was 
  much 
  larger 
  in 
  diameter 
  than 
  the 
  lower 
  portion. 
  

   The 
  lining 
  of 
  the 
  intestinal 
  canal 
  for 
  the 
  space 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  above 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  entrance 
  of 
  the 
  

   hepatic 
  duct 
  was 
  stained 
  a 
  deep 
  brownish 
  orange. 
  This 
  apparently 
  was 
  due 
  to 
  bile. 
  The 
  gall 
  

   bladder 
  was 
  filled, 
  and 
  the 
  bile, 
  very 
  dark 
  green 
  in 
  color, 
  was 
  thickened 
  to 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  viscidity, 
  

   so 
  that 
  portions 
  of 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  drawn 
  over 
  the 
  enameled 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  dissecting 
  tray 
  with 
  a 
  

   probe. 
  Below 
  the 
  hepatic 
  duct, 
  the 
  walls 
  of 
  the 
  intestine 
  were 
  pale. 
  An 
  orange 
  tint 
  appeared 
  

   four 
  inches 
  above 
  the 
  caecal 
  expansion 
  and 
  increased 
  in 
  intensity 
  to 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  junction 
  of 
  

   large 
  and 
  small 
  intestines. 
  The 
  caecum 
  was 
  empty. 
  In 
  the 
  rectum 
  were 
  four 
  rounded 
  masses 
  

   of 
  firm, 
  hardened 
  mucus, 
  each 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  a 
  pellet 
  of 
  number 
  8 
  shot. 
  The 
  cloaca 
  was 
  empty 
  

   and 
  completely 
  contracted. 
  The 
  animal 
  seemed 
  to 
  be 
  normal 
  in 
  flesh, 
  and 
  small 
  masses 
  of 
  

   orange-yellow 
  fat 
  persisted 
  along 
  the 
  dorsal 
  wall 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  cavity 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  

   pelvic 
  arch. 
  Apparently 
  metaboUsm 
  had 
  been 
  in 
  abeyance 
  dm"ing 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  hibernation." 
  

  

  The 
  animal 
  dwells 
  mostly 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  however, 
  where 
  it 
  prowls 
  about 
  the 
  muddy 
  bottom 
  

   in 
  search 
  of 
  food. 
  Agassiz 
  says 
  (1857, 
  vol. 
  1, 
  p. 
  350) 
  : 
  "The 
  slender 
  legs 
  are 
  ill 
  fitted 
  for 
  travel- 
  

   ing 
  on 
  dry 
  land, 
  but 
  easily 
  carry 
  the 
  body 
  through 
  the 
  water 
  over 
  its 
  bottom. 
  When 
  surprised 
  

   away 
  from 
  the 
  water, 
  the 
  animal 
  seeks 
  the 
  nearest 
  hiding-place; 
  if 
  danger 
  is 
  close 
  at 
  hand, 
  it 
  

   quickly 
  withdraws 
  the 
  exposed 
  parts 
  into 
  the 
  shield, 
  and, 
  if 
  pressed 
  still 
  farther, 
  it 
  resorts 
  at 
  

   last 
  to 
  biting, 
  not 
  throwing 
  the 
  head 
  quickly 
  and 
  forcibly 
  out 
  as 
  the 
  Chelydroidae 
  do, 
  but 
  

   stretching 
  it 
  out 
  rather 
  slowly 
  towards 
  the 
  assailant, 
  and 
  then 
  snapping 
  the 
  jaws 
  forcibly 
  

   upon 
  it." 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  exudes 
  a 
  slight 
  musky 
  odor 
  (not 
  as 
  pungent 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Musk 
  Turtle), 
  which 
  

   according 
  to 
  Holbrook 
  is 
  "not 
  disagreeable." 
  In 
  swimming, 
  its 
  movements 
  are 
  graceful 
  and 
  

   deliberate. 
  

  

  