﻿384 
  

  

  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  Hay 
  thinks 
  a 
  certain 
  amount 
  of 
  fresh 
  water 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  the 
  well 
  being 
  of 
  this 
  terrapin. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  notes 
  on 
  association 
  of 
  sound 
  or 
  light 
  with 
  food 
  are 
  of 
  interest. 
  "Diamond- 
  

   backs 
  very 
  quickly 
  associate 
  certain 
  sounds 
  or 
  other 
  impressions 
  with 
  food. 
  Fish 
  and 
  crabs 
  

   were 
  fed 
  them 
  daily, 
  these 
  being 
  chopped 
  near 
  the 
  pen 
  with 
  a 
  hatchet. 
  After 
  a 
  few 
  days, 
  at 
  

   the 
  sound 
  of 
  the 
  chopping, 
  their 
  heads 
  would 
  appear 
  above 
  their 
  beds 
  of 
  weed. 
  In 
  time 
  this 
  

   sound, 
  or 
  similar 
  sounds 
  of 
  rapping 
  on 
  the 
  walls 
  of 
  the 
  pen 
  (whether 
  or 
  not 
  food 
  was 
  present), 
  

   became 
  quite 
  effective 
  in 
  bringing 
  them 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  feeding, 
  and 
  thus 
  they 
  could 
  be 
  

   called 
  from 
  concealment 
  whenever 
  desired. 
  Later, 
  some 
  were 
  fed 
  in 
  the 
  evening 
  after 
  dark 
  

   for 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  about 
  a 
  week. 
  Soon 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  a 
  lighted 
  lamp 
  became 
  associated 
  with 
  

   food 
  and 
  was 
  sufficient 
  to 
  draw 
  the 
  animals 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  feeding, 
  whether 
  or 
  not 
  there 
  

   was 
  food 
  at 
  hand" 
  (Coker). 
  

  

  Food 
  Habits. 
  — 
  In 
  the 
  wild 
  state 
  its 
  food 
  consists 
  largely 
  of 
  crustaceans 
  and 
  mollusks. 
  

   Insects 
  and 
  the 
  tender 
  shoots 
  and 
  rootlets 
  of 
  marsh 
  plants 
  are 
  also 
  eaten. 
  The 
  following 
  

   Ust 
  (after 
  Coker, 
  1906) 
  of 
  stomach 
  contents 
  of 
  fourteen 
  Diamond-back 
  Terrapins 
  killed 
  shortly 
  

   after 
  capture 
  is 
  of 
  interest. 
  

  

  