﻿DIAMOND-BACK 
  TERRAPIN. 
  389 
  

  

  adult 
  and 
  healthy 
  animals, 
  but 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  kind 
  desired. 
  The 
  females 
  should 
  measure 
  6 
  inches 
  

   or 
  nearly 
  that, 
  along 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  shell, 
  and 
  the 
  males 
  should 
  be 
  as 
  near 
  to 
  4 
  inches 
  

   long 
  as 
  possible. 
  Females 
  6 
  inches 
  long 
  are 
  beUeved 
  to 
  have 
  arrived 
  at 
  their 
  period 
  of 
  

   full 
  productivity, 
  and 
  those 
  more 
  than 
  6 
  inches 
  long 
  command 
  an 
  unduly 
  high 
  price. 
  The 
  

   males, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  distinguished 
  by 
  their 
  longer 
  and 
  larger 
  tail 
  and 
  relatively 
  smaller 
  head, 
  

   rarely 
  reach 
  a 
  length 
  greater 
  than 
  4 
  inches. 
  

  

  "Conamon 
  sense 
  would 
  dictate 
  that 
  preference 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  terrapins 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  kept 
  

   under 
  good 
  conditions. 
  Animals 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  kept 
  in 
  a 
  filthy, 
  crowded 
  pen 
  will 
  probably 
  

   need 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  year 
  or 
  two 
  before 
  beginning 
  to 
  lay 
  their 
  proper 
  quota 
  of 
  eggs. 
  

  

  "In 
  shipping 
  terrapins 
  to 
  market 
  it 
  is 
  customary 
  to 
  use 
  barrels, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  animals 
  are 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  carefully 
  packed 
  until 
  the 
  barrel 
  is 
  full. 
  The 
  jarring 
  and 
  shaking 
  about 
  which 
  the 
  

   barrel 
  is 
  certain 
  to 
  receive 
  often 
  does 
  serious 
  injury 
  to 
  the 
  animals 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  layers 
  and 
  sooner 
  

   or 
  later 
  may 
  bring 
  about 
  their 
  death. 
  The 
  purchaser 
  of 
  breeding 
  stock 
  should 
  specify 
  that 
  the 
  

   animals 
  shipped 
  to 
  him 
  shall 
  be 
  carefully 
  packed 
  in 
  shallow 
  boxes 
  or 
  that 
  trays 
  shall 
  be 
  used 
  to 
  

   separate 
  the 
  layers 
  of 
  terrapins. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  shipment 
  reaches 
  its 
  destination 
  the 
  package 
  

   should 
  be 
  opened 
  and 
  the 
  animals 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  pen. 
  

  

  "With 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  proportion 
  of 
  males 
  and 
  females 
  that 
  should 
  be 
  purchased, 
  it 
  must 
  

   be 
  said 
  that 
  httle 
  is 
  known 
  about 
  the 
  mating 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  diamond-back 
  terrapin. 
  Such 
  

   observations 
  as 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  leave 
  Uttle 
  doubt 
  that 
  copulation 
  is 
  promiscuous. 
  At 
  Beau- 
  

   fort 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  pens 
  has 
  less 
  than 
  half 
  as 
  many 
  males 
  as 
  females, 
  while 
  in 
  another 
  there 
  are 
  nearly 
  

   as 
  many 
  males 
  as 
  females, 
  yet 
  the 
  advantage, 
  if 
  there 
  is 
  any, 
  is 
  in 
  favor 
  of 
  the 
  pen 
  with 
  the 
  

   fewer 
  males. 
  The 
  beginner 
  might 
  safely 
  purchase 
  twice 
  as 
  many 
  females 
  as 
  males. 
  

  

  "Care 
  of 
  Adults. 
  

  

  "Under 
  natural 
  conditions 
  the 
  diamond-back 
  terrapin 
  is 
  probably 
  omnivorous, 
  feeding 
  

   on 
  whatever 
  nutritious 
  matter 
  it 
  can 
  find. 
  The 
  smaller 
  crustaceans 
  and 
  mollusks 
  are 
  beUeved 
  

   to 
  form 
  the 
  major 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  diet, 
  but 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  those 
  and 
  similar 
  items 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  vegeta- 
  

   ble 
  matter 
  is 
  consumed. 
  

  

  "When 
  kept 
  in 
  confinement 
  the 
  food 
  suppUed 
  will 
  necessarily 
  vary 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  mth 
  the 
  

   locality. 
  At 
  Beaufort 
  the 
  staple 
  article 
  is 
  fish, 
  but 
  an 
  occasional 
  feeding 
  of 
  blue 
  crabs 
  or 
  of 
  

   fiddlers 
  is 
  given. 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  purchased 
  at 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  local 
  fish 
  houses 
  and 
  are 
  those 
  which 
  

   are 
  of 
  some 
  cheap 
  variety 
  or 
  too 
  small 
  to 
  be 
  sold 
  for 
  cooking. 
  The 
  crabs 
  are 
  such 
  as 
  are 
  caught 
  

   in 
  the 
  trap 
  net 
  or 
  seines 
  in 
  the 
  ordinary 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  laboratory. 
  

  

  "The 
  fish 
  are 
  cut 
  into 
  small 
  pieces, 
  and 
  the 
  crabs 
  are 
  thoroughly 
  crushed 
  before 
  they 
  are 
  

   given 
  to 
  the 
  terrapins, 
  and 
  quantities 
  amounting 
  to 
  about 
  2 
  ounces 
  for 
  each 
  adult 
  are 
  suppUed 
  

   every 
  day 
  during 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  activity, 
  which, 
  at 
  Beaufort, 
  extends 
  from 
  about 
  April 
  to 
  De- 
  

   cember 
  1. 
  

  

  