﻿GEOGRAPHICAL 
  TERRAPIN. 
  379 
  

  

  number, 
  considerably 
  developed, 
  and 
  innumerable 
  small 
  ones, 
  in 
  the 
  ovaries. 
  She 
  was 
  crawl- 
  

   ing 
  very 
  fast 
  over 
  the 
  sandy 
  plain, 
  when 
  taken, 
  and 
  was 
  evidently 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  a 
  suitable 
  place 
  

   for 
  depositing 
  her 
  eggs. 
  The 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  mature 
  eggs 
  was 
  that 
  of 
  an 
  ellipsoid, 
  with 
  one 
  end 
  a 
  

   trifle 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  other, 
  and 
  they 
  differed 
  not 
  sensibly 
  in 
  size, 
  being 
  1.4 
  inch 
  long, 
  0.9 
  thick, 
  

   and 
  having 
  their 
  greatest 
  circumference 
  3.7 
  in., 
  and 
  least, 
  2.9. 
  The 
  oviduct, 
  containing 
  the 
  

   mature 
  eggs, 
  was 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  abdomen, 
  cut 
  into 
  three 
  pieces, 
  and 
  laid 
  aside, 
  and, 
  in 
  the 
  

   course 
  of 
  ten 
  minutes, 
  by 
  repeated 
  visible 
  contractions, 
  or 
  throes, 
  all 
  the 
  eggs 
  were 
  expelled 
  

   from 
  it." 
  And 
  again: 
  "Another 
  female 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  was 
  taken, 
  June 
  10th, 
  1846, 
  near 
  Clay 
  

   Point, 
  in 
  Colchester. 
  She 
  was 
  sitting 
  over 
  a 
  hole 
  she 
  had 
  excavated 
  in 
  the 
  sand, 
  in 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  

   depositing 
  her 
  eggs, 
  and 
  made 
  no 
  effort 
  to 
  escape 
  when 
  approached. 
  Her 
  oviduct 
  was 
  filled 
  

   with 
  mature 
  eggs. 
  I 
  learn 
  that 
  in 
  ploughing 
  the 
  sandy 
  lands 
  near 
  this 
  Point, 
  nests 
  of 
  this 
  

   tortoise, 
  containing 
  from 
  12 
  to 
  20 
  eggs, 
  have 
  been 
  frequently 
  laid 
  open." 
  

  

  Habits. 
  — 
  This 
  species 
  is 
  not 
  ferocious, 
  biting 
  only 
  when 
  hard 
  pressed. 
  If 
  attacked 
  it 
  

   prefers 
  to 
  retreat 
  within 
  th6 
  shell, 
  the 
  head 
  being 
  cai'ried 
  far 
  back 
  between 
  the 
  shoulders, 
  the 
  

   neck 
  drawn 
  in 
  naked 
  among 
  the 
  viscera, 
  the 
  legs 
  folded 
  between 
  the 
  inner 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   jecting 
  free 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  shield, 
  and 
  the 
  tail 
  tm-ned 
  in 
  laterally. 
  In 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  behavior 
  of 
  

   captive 
  specimens, 
  Ditmars 
  (1907, 
  p. 
  44) 
  says: 
  "Judging 
  from 
  his 
  experiences 
  with 
  several 
  

   hundred 
  specimens 
  of 
  this 
  tm'tle, 
  both 
  in 
  the 
  tanks 
  of 
  the 
  reptile 
  house 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  Zoo- 
  

   logical 
  Park 
  and 
  with 
  specimens 
  that 
  were 
  Hberated 
  in 
  small 
  ponds 
  of 
  the 
  Park, 
  the 
  writer 
  

   believes 
  this 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  delicate 
  species 
  when 
  removed 
  from 
  its 
  native 
  environment. 
  It 
  will 
  eat 
  

   chopped 
  fish, 
  meat 
  and 
  mealworms, 
  also 
  earthworms 
  and 
  various 
  soft-bodied 
  grubs, 
  dragging 
  

   all 
  its 
  food 
  into 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  devouring 
  it 
  beneath 
  the 
  surface. 
  The 
  wTiter 
  has 
  also 
  observed 
  

   it 
  to 
  eat 
  the 
  edges 
  of 
  water-hly 
  pads. 
  None 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  liberated 
  in 
  the 
  Park 
  ponds 
  passed 
  

   through 
  the 
  winter 
  alive 
  — 
  all 
  floating 
  up 
  dead 
  in 
  the 
  spring. 
  The 
  ponds 
  appeared 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  

   favorable 
  for 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  such 
  creatures, 
  as 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  soft 
  mud 
  bottom 
  in 
  wliich 
  they 
  could 
  

   burrow 
  for 
  the 
  winter. 
  The 
  experiment 
  was 
  continued 
  for 
  several 
  winters, 
  but 
  with 
  a 
  like 
  result. 
  

   It 
  appeared 
  that 
  some 
  item 
  of 
  their 
  food 
  was 
  lacking 
  and 
  without 
  it 
  they 
  could 
  not 
  summon 
  

   sufficient 
  strength 
  to 
  pass 
  the 
  winter 
  months." 
  

  

  Food 
  Habits. 
  — 
  The 
  pecuHar 
  structm'e 
  of 
  the 
  jaws 
  renders 
  them 
  especially 
  adapted 
  for 
  

   crushing 
  small 
  moUusks, 
  which 
  constitute 
  an 
  important 
  item 
  of 
  diet 
  with 
  this 
  terrapin. 
  Sur- 
  

   face 
  found 
  crayfish 
  in 
  the 
  stomach 
  of 
  one 
  specimen. 
  A 
  certain 
  percentage 
  of 
  vegetable 
  matter 
  

   also 
  is 
  eaten. 
  The 
  food 
  is 
  always 
  swallowed 
  under 
  water. 
  

  

  Enemies. 
  — 
  In 
  general 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  young 
  of 
  this 
  terrapin 
  are 
  subject 
  to 
  attack 
  and 
  destruc- 
  

   tion 
  from 
  predatory 
  animals 
  much 
  as 
  are 
  those 
  of 
  other 
  species. 
  

  

  Economic 
  Importance. 
  — 
  In 
  portions 
  of 
  its 
  range 
  where 
  abundant, 
  this 
  terrapin 
  is 
  col- 
  

   lected 
  and 
  sold 
  in 
  the 
  markets 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  cities, 
  as 
  is 
  the 
  Red-bellied 
  TerrajDin, 
  under 
  the 
  

   trade 
  name 
  of 
  "SUder," 
  as 
  a 
  substitute 
  for 
  the 
  more 
  expensive 
  Diamond-back 
  Terrapin 
  of 
  the 
  

   salt 
  marshes. 
  

  

  