﻿DIAMOND-BACK 
  TERRAPIN. 
  387 
  

  

  "In 
  constructing 
  a 
  third 
  pen 
  a 
  new 
  location 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  selected, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  proximity 
  

   of 
  buildings 
  to 
  pens 
  A 
  and 
  B. 
  The 
  new 
  pen 
  faces 
  the 
  southwest 
  and 
  is 
  somewhat 
  larger, 
  being 
  

   48 
  feet 
  6 
  inches 
  wide 
  and 
  64 
  feet 
  long. 
  The 
  construction 
  is 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  pens 
  A 
  and 
  B, 
  except 
  

   that 
  the 
  concrete 
  wall 
  extends 
  entirely 
  around 
  the 
  inclosure. 
  The 
  interior 
  is 
  divided 
  into 
  

   eight 
  small 
  pens 
  and 
  one 
  large 
  one, 
  the 
  former 
  being 
  for 
  the 
  reception 
  of 
  young 
  terrapins 
  and 
  

   the 
  latter 
  for 
  use 
  as 
  a 
  breeding 
  pen. 
  A 
  wire 
  fence 
  incloses 
  three 
  sides 
  of 
  this 
  pen, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  leave 
  

   a 
  clear 
  space 
  of 
  about 
  15 
  feet 
  all 
  the 
  way 
  around. 
  As 
  yet 
  this 
  pen 
  is 
  not 
  supplied 
  with 
  fresh 
  

   water. 
  

  

  "While 
  the 
  pens 
  at 
  Beaufort 
  are 
  regarded 
  as 
  being 
  eminently 
  satisfactory 
  and 
  the 
  best 
  

   that 
  could 
  have 
  been 
  constructed 
  in 
  the 
  places 
  available 
  for 
  them, 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  understood 
  

   that 
  pens 
  for 
  commercial 
  purposes 
  could 
  be 
  built 
  along 
  other 
  Unes 
  and 
  probably 
  of 
  cheaper 
  

   materials 
  that 
  would 
  answer 
  all 
  the 
  requirements 
  quite 
  as 
  well. 
  In 
  many 
  places 
  along 
  the 
  

   coast 
  there 
  are 
  ponds 
  which 
  could 
  be 
  inclosed 
  by 
  a 
  tight 
  fence 
  made 
  of 
  boards 
  and 
  which 
  could 
  

   accommodate 
  hundreds 
  of 
  adults 
  and 
  young. 
  In 
  constructing 
  a 
  pen 
  of 
  this 
  type 
  it 
  would 
  

   be 
  necessary 
  of 
  course 
  to 
  set 
  the 
  fence 
  back 
  somewhat 
  from 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  to 
  prevent 
  

   shipworms 
  from 
  attacking 
  the 
  submerged 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  boards, 
  or 
  to 
  throw 
  earth, 
  sand, 
  or 
  shells 
  

   along 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  fence. 
  The 
  boards, 
  which 
  need 
  not 
  be 
  dressed, 
  should 
  be 
  cut 
  about 
  7 
  

   feet 
  long 
  and 
  driven 
  endwise 
  about 
  3 
  feet 
  into 
  the 
  ground, 
  edge 
  to 
  edge. 
  The 
  fence 
  should 
  

   then 
  be 
  strengthened 
  by 
  having 
  a 
  board 
  nailed 
  horizontally 
  along 
  the 
  top. 
  A 
  few 
  strands 
  

   of 
  barbed 
  wire 
  above 
  this 
  might 
  serve 
  to 
  keep 
  out 
  undesirable 
  intruders. 
  

  

  "At 
  one 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  inclosure, 
  or 
  if 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  breeding 
  terrapins 
  confined 
  

   there, 
  at 
  various 
  points 
  about 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  pond, 
  sloping 
  sand 
  beds 
  should 
  be 
  provided 
  

   for 
  the 
  nests 
  and 
  means 
  should 
  be 
  found 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  terrapins 
  from 
  laying 
  eggs 
  anywhere 
  

   else. 
  (The 
  most 
  effective 
  means 
  is 
  so 
  to 
  plan 
  the 
  inclosure 
  that 
  at 
  high 
  tide 
  every 
  part, 
  except 
  

   the 
  egg 
  bed, 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  water.) 
  These 
  sand 
  beds 
  should 
  be 
  built 
  up 
  to 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  about 
  

   12 
  inches 
  above 
  extreme 
  high-tide 
  level, 
  and 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  fence 
  near 
  them 
  should 
  have 
  an 
  

   extra 
  board, 
  preferably 
  of 
  planed 
  lumber, 
  about 
  6 
  inches 
  wide, 
  extending 
  outward 
  like 
  a 
  shelf, 
  

   a 
  foot 
  or 
  more 
  above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  sand. 
  Provision 
  should 
  also 
  be 
  made 
  for 
  shutting 
  off 
  

   the 
  sand 
  bed 
  by 
  a 
  low 
  fence 
  with 
  a 
  smooth 
  cap 
  board 
  after 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  egg-laying 
  season. 
  

   Somewhere 
  about 
  the 
  pond 
  there 
  should 
  be 
  a 
  separate 
  inclosure 
  for 
  the 
  young 
  terrapins 
  during 
  

   their 
  first 
  year, 
  and, 
  if 
  feeding 
  the 
  young 
  through 
  the 
  first 
  winter 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  attempted, 
  some 
  

   building 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  warmed 
  will 
  be 
  necessary. 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  

  

  "It 
  will 
  be 
  observed 
  that 
  the 
  inclosure 
  for 
  the 
  young 
  terrapins 
  is 
  cut 
  off 
  as 
  completely 
  as 
  

   possible 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  pond 
  and 
  connects 
  with 
  the 
  outlet 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  by 
  a 
  separate 
  gate. 
  This 
  

   will 
  not 
  be 
  necessary 
  unless 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  adults 
  are 
  kept, 
  in 
  which 
  case 
  the 
  effort 
  should 
  be 
  

   made 
  to 
  supply 
  the 
  young 
  ones 
  with 
  clean 
  water. 
  

  

  "The 
  gates 
  across 
  the 
  outlet 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  of 
  iron 
  bars, 
  set 
  close 
  together 
  in 
  

  

  