﻿PAINTED 
  TURTLE. 
  373 
  

  

  as 
  the 
  season 
  advances 
  until 
  by 
  October, 
  as 
  the 
  time 
  for 
  annual 
  hibernation 
  approaches, 
  it 
  is 
  

   rather 
  sluggish. 
  When 
  first 
  captured 
  it 
  is 
  vicious 
  (especially 
  young 
  specimens), 
  but 
  soon 
  

   becomes 
  quite 
  tame. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  more 
  delicate 
  species 
  in 
  captivity 
  than 
  the 
  more 
  aquatic 
  forms. 
  

  

  Food. 
  — 
  This 
  species 
  is 
  omnivorous, 
  feeding 
  on 
  small 
  fish, 
  tadpoles, 
  aquatic 
  insects, 
  and 
  

   their 
  larvae, 
  and 
  various 
  water 
  plants. 
  In 
  the 
  examination 
  of 
  eighty-six 
  stomach 
  contents 
  

   of 
  individuals 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  Surface 
  found: 
  algae, 
  moss, 
  stems, 
  leaves, 
  seeds, 
  grass, 
  slugs, 
  

   snails, 
  mussels, 
  dragon-flies, 
  crickets, 
  bugs, 
  larvae 
  of 
  Lepidoptera, 
  flies, 
  beetles, 
  rose-bugs, 
  

   wasps, 
  ants, 
  fragments 
  of 
  fish 
  and 
  mammals. 
  It 
  apparently 
  cannot 
  swallow 
  unless 
  the 
  head 
  

   is 
  under 
  water 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  often 
  watched 
  individuals 
  come 
  up 
  on 
  the 
  shore, 
  pick 
  up 
  pieces 
  

   of 
  wheat 
  or 
  cracked 
  corn 
  (left 
  there 
  for 
  ducks), 
  return 
  hurriedly 
  to 
  shallow 
  water 
  where 
  they 
  

   would 
  submerge 
  their 
  heads 
  and 
  shake 
  them 
  vigorously 
  as 
  if 
  swallowing 
  such 
  dry 
  food 
  was 
  not 
  

   an 
  easy 
  process. 
  The 
  stomach 
  contents 
  of 
  one 
  I 
  recently 
  examined 
  consisted 
  of 
  vegetable 
  roots 
  

   and 
  parts 
  of 
  beetles. 
  In 
  captivity 
  they 
  will 
  eat 
  table 
  scraps 
  of 
  almost 
  any 
  variety. 
  When 
  

   kept 
  in 
  aquaria 
  they 
  often 
  attack 
  small 
  fish 
  or 
  tadpoles. 
  

  

  Enemies. 
  — 
  This 
  turtle 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  attack 
  from 
  predatory 
  birds 
  and 
  mammals 
  much 
  as 
  

   other 
  fresh-water 
  turtles 
  previously 
  considered. 
  Thoreau 
  speaks 
  of 
  finding 
  an 
  eviscerated 
  

   Painted 
  Turtle 
  at 
  Concord. 
  The 
  turtle 
  was 
  still 
  aUve, 
  the 
  grass 
  about 
  it 
  was 
  trampled, 
  and 
  

   there 
  was 
  evidence 
  of 
  a 
  previous 
  struggle. 
  He 
  suggests 
  a 
  skunk, 
  weasel, 
  mink, 
  or 
  heron 
  as 
  

   the 
  probable 
  assailant. 
  Turtles 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  condition 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  by 
  other 
  

   observers. 
  It 
  is 
  possible 
  that 
  crows 
  may 
  attack 
  them 
  in 
  this 
  manner. 
  

  

  Economic 
  Importance. 
  — 
  Holbrook 
  (1842, 
  vol. 
  1, 
  p. 
  78) 
  states 
  that 
  its 
  flesh 
  is 
  sometimes 
  

   eaten 
  but 
  "not 
  much 
  esteemed." 
  The 
  small 
  size 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  however, 
  prohibits 
  its 
  becom- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  commercial 
  value. 
  

  

  