﻿388 
  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  a 
  wooden 
  frame, 
  or 
  of 
  hea\'y 
  galvanized 
  wire 
  netting. 
  If 
  netting 
  is 
  used, 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  amply 
  

   protected 
  against 
  floating 
  logs, 
  etc., 
  and 
  should 
  be 
  replaced 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  it 
  shows 
  signs 
  of 
  giving 
  

   way. 
  

  

  "In 
  case 
  a 
  natiiral 
  pond 
  is 
  not 
  available, 
  a 
  fairly 
  satisfactory 
  inclosui'e 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  on 
  

   almost 
  any 
  low 
  piece 
  of 
  ground, 
  to 
  which 
  salt 
  water 
  can 
  be 
  conducted 
  by 
  ditches 
  or 
  through 
  

   which 
  some 
  salt-water 
  creek 
  flows. 
  In 
  such 
  a 
  location, 
  however, 
  the 
  labor 
  of 
  digging 
  the 
  

   ditches 
  would 
  be 
  great 
  and 
  there 
  probably 
  would 
  be 
  much 
  difficulty 
  in 
  inducing 
  the 
  females 
  

   to 
  deposit 
  all 
  their 
  eggs 
  in 
  the 
  sand 
  bed 
  provided 
  for 
  that 
  purpose. 
  

  

  "Locations 
  on 
  high 
  ground 
  remote 
  from 
  salt 
  water, 
  and 
  in 
  places 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  tidal 
  

   flow, 
  would 
  be 
  absolutely 
  unsuited 
  to 
  terrapin 
  culture. 
  Pens 
  constructed 
  in 
  such 
  places 
  become 
  

   filled 
  with 
  foul 
  odors, 
  mud, 
  and 
  filth. 
  

  

  "Whatever 
  type 
  of 
  inclosure 
  is 
  decided 
  upon, 
  at 
  least 
  10 
  square 
  feet 
  should 
  be 
  allowed 
  for 
  

   each 
  adult 
  terrapin 
  placed 
  in 
  it. 
  A 
  terrapin 
  can 
  live 
  in 
  less 
  space 
  than 
  this, 
  and 
  future 
  experi- 
  

   ments 
  may 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  animals 
  will 
  stand 
  crowding; 
  but 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  a 
  minimum 
  of 
  10 
  

   square 
  feet 
  seems 
  desirable. 
  

  

  "With 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  proportions 
  of 
  dry 
  land 
  and 
  water 
  that 
  are 
  needed 
  for 
  best 
  results 
  

   very 
  httle 
  can 
  be 
  said. 
  Some 
  land 
  for 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  time 
  and 
  some 
  water 
  all 
  the 
  time 
  is 
  

   desirable. 
  The 
  ideal 
  condition 
  is 
  a 
  swampy 
  area 
  of 
  considerable 
  size, 
  all 
  of 
  which, 
  with 
  the 
  

   exception 
  of 
  the 
  egg 
  bed, 
  is 
  covered 
  at 
  high 
  tide, 
  but 
  from 
  which 
  at 
  low 
  tide 
  the 
  water 
  does 
  not 
  

   entirely 
  disappear. 
  By 
  having 
  the 
  area 
  covered 
  at 
  high 
  tide 
  the 
  females 
  are 
  compelled 
  to 
  

   use 
  the 
  sand 
  beds 
  for 
  laying, 
  and 
  by 
  having 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  area 
  exposed 
  at 
  low 
  tide 
  they 
  are 
  given 
  

   an 
  opportunity 
  to 
  crawl 
  about 
  and 
  sun 
  themselves. 
  

  

  "In 
  constructing 
  a 
  terrapin 
  pen, 
  the 
  possibiUty 
  of 
  muskrats 
  digging 
  under 
  the 
  fence 
  and 
  

   furnishing 
  an 
  avenue 
  for 
  the 
  escape 
  of 
  the 
  terrapins 
  should 
  be 
  borne 
  in 
  mind. 
  The 
  common 
  

   rat 
  will 
  eat 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  the 
  young 
  terrapins, 
  crows 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  do 
  the 
  same, 
  and 
  kingfishers 
  

   and 
  herons 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  looked 
  upon 
  with 
  suspicion. 
  A 
  tight 
  fence, 
  resort 
  to 
  traps 
  or 
  poison 
  out- 
  

   side 
  the 
  pen, 
  and 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  a 
  shotgun 
  when 
  necessary 
  will 
  probably 
  suffice 
  to 
  prevent 
  any 
  seri- 
  

   ous 
  loss 
  from 
  these 
  animals. 
  

  

  "Selection 
  of 
  Breeding 
  Stock. 
  

  

  "Good 
  terrapins 
  for 
  breeding 
  purposes 
  can 
  usually 
  be 
  obtained 
  from 
  dealers. 
  In 
  many 
  

   locaUties 
  along 
  the 
  southern 
  Atlantic 
  coast 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  individuals 
  who 
  make 
  a 
  busi- 
  

   ness 
  of 
  buying 
  terrapins 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  brought 
  in 
  by 
  fishermen 
  and 
  impounding 
  them 
  mitil 
  they 
  

   can 
  be 
  sent 
  to 
  market. 
  These 
  persons 
  can 
  usually 
  be 
  depended 
  upon 
  to 
  supply 
  satisfactory 
  

   stock. 
  The 
  prices 
  asked 
  vary 
  considerably. 
  

  

  "It 
  should 
  be 
  borne 
  in 
  mind 
  that 
  the 
  market 
  price 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  species 
  is 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  

   the 
  same, 
  therefore 
  in 
  selecting 
  breeding 
  stock 
  the 
  effort 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  get 
  not 
  only 
  fully 
  

  

  