﻿386 
  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  "Construction 
  of 
  a 
  Breeding 
  Pen. 
  

  

  "In 
  keeping 
  diamond-back 
  terrapins 
  for 
  breeding 
  purposes 
  the 
  best 
  results 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  

   obtained 
  by 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  a 
  special 
  inclosure, 
  in 
  which 
  all 
  the 
  needs 
  of 
  the 
  captives 
  are 
  

   provided 
  for. 
  The 
  pens 
  used 
  for 
  experimental 
  purposes 
  at 
  Beaufort 
  have 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  admir- 
  

   ably 
  suited 
  to 
  this 
  work, 
  and 
  they 
  will 
  therefore 
  be 
  described 
  in 
  full. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  original 
  pen, 
  (A, 
  .... 
  ) 
  is 
  a 
  rectangle 
  44 
  feet 
  6 
  inches 
  by 
  48 
  feet, 
  inclosed 
  by 
  a 
  wall 
  of 
  

   concrete 
  along 
  the 
  front 
  and 
  about 
  two-thirds 
  of 
  the 
  way 
  back 
  on 
  the 
  land 
  ; 
  the 
  remaining 
  third 
  

   of 
  the 
  sides 
  and 
  the 
  back 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  plank. 
  In 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  long 
  sides, 
  facing 
  

   the 
  water, 
  is 
  a 
  gate 
  3 
  feet 
  in 
  width, 
  extending 
  from 
  below 
  low-water 
  mark 
  to 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  

   wall 
  and 
  guarded 
  by 
  a 
  grating 
  of 
  iron 
  rods 
  spaced 
  about 
  1 
  inch 
  apart. 
  In 
  the 
  northwest 
  corner 
  

   of 
  the 
  inclosure 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  pen 
  for 
  the 
  reception 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  young 
  terrapins. 
  In 
  the 
  south- 
  

   east 
  corner 
  is 
  the 
  egg 
  bed, 
  made 
  by 
  inclosing 
  a 
  space 
  16 
  feet 
  square 
  by 
  a 
  wall 
  of 
  planks 
  and 
  

   filling 
  it 
  with 
  sand 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  about 
  12 
  inches 
  above 
  extreme 
  high-tide 
  mark. 
  At 
  one 
  end 
  of 
  

   the 
  egg 
  bed 
  a 
  small 
  pen 
  was 
  constructed 
  as 
  a 
  trap 
  for 
  the 
  newly 
  hatched 
  young 
  ones, 
  but 
  as 
  

   they 
  refused 
  to 
  enter 
  it, 
  it 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  used. 
  The 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  board 
  walls 
  of 
  this 
  pen 
  and 
  of 
  

   the 
  enclosure 
  within 
  it 
  are 
  provided 
  Avith 
  cap 
  boards 
  about 
  6 
  inches 
  wide 
  of 
  dressed 
  lumber 
  

   to 
  prevent 
  the 
  escape 
  of 
  any 
  terrapins 
  from 
  the 
  pen. 
  This 
  protection 
  is 
  extended 
  to 
  the 
  egg 
  

   bed 
  also 
  after 
  the 
  egg-laying 
  season 
  is 
  over, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  old 
  terrapins 
  are 
  shut 
  out 
  from 
  that 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  pen, 
  and 
  the 
  young 
  ones 
  when 
  hatched 
  can 
  not 
  get 
  into 
  the 
  water 
  with 
  the 
  old 
  ones. 
  

  

  "In 
  the 
  northeast 
  corner 
  a 
  small 
  platform 
  of 
  boards 
  has 
  been 
  fastened 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  below 
  

   low 
  tide 
  level 
  to 
  furnish 
  a 
  place 
  under 
  which 
  the 
  terrapins 
  can 
  hibernate. 
  

  

  "The 
  ground 
  within 
  the 
  inclosure, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  the 
  egg 
  bed 
  and 
  the 
  part 
  which 
  

   remains 
  covered 
  with 
  water 
  at 
  low 
  tide, 
  is 
  quite 
  thickly 
  overgrown 
  with 
  marsh 
  grass. 
  

  

  "After 
  the 
  pen 
  just 
  described 
  was 
  constructed, 
  another 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  type 
  was 
  built 
  adjoin- 
  

   ing 
  it, 
  (B, 
  ), 
  but 
  nearly 
  half 
  the 
  space 
  within 
  it 
  was 
  utiUzed 
  at 
  once 
  for 
  the 
  construction 
  

  

  of 
  small 
  inclosures 
  to 
  receive 
  different 
  lots 
  of 
  50 
  to 
  100 
  young 
  ones 
  on 
  which 
  experiments 
  were 
  

   being 
  tried 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  reception 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  lot 
  of 
  Texas 
  terrapins. 
  In 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  pens 
  fresh 
  

   water 
  is 
  supplied 
  to 
  all 
  the 
  inclosures 
  by 
  piping 
  from 
  an 
  artesian 
  well. 
  

  

  "In 
  pen 
  A, 
  the 
  area, 
  after 
  deducting 
  the 
  small 
  pen 
  and 
  the 
  egg 
  bed, 
  is 
  about 
  1,550 
  square 
  

   feet, 
  and 
  accommodates 
  18 
  male 
  and 
  43 
  female 
  terrapins. 
  Pen 
  B, 
  after 
  deducting 
  the 
  small 
  

   pens 
  and 
  the 
  egg 
  bed, 
  contains 
  about 
  1,445 
  square 
  feet 
  and 
  accommodates 
  65 
  male 
  and 
  73 
  

   female 
  terrapins. 
  

  

  "At 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  about 
  20 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  walls 
  these 
  two 
  pens 
  are 
  surrounded 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  

   and 
  two 
  sides 
  by 
  a 
  wire 
  fence 
  of 
  ordinary 
  construction 
  to 
  prevent 
  visitors 
  from 
  disturbing 
  the 
  

   terrapins 
  or 
  otherwise 
  interfering 
  with 
  the 
  experimental 
  work, 
  and 
  as 
  an 
  additional 
  safeguard 
  

   a 
  second 
  fence 
  of 
  woven 
  wire 
  fencing 
  has 
  been 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  walls 
  all 
  the 
  way 
  around. 
  

  

  