﻿394 
  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  inches. 
  If 
  unhatched 
  eggs 
  are 
  found 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  left 
  undisturbed, 
  but 
  otherwise 
  the 
  entire 
  

   bed 
  should 
  be 
  carefully 
  gone 
  over. 
  Later, 
  toward 
  winter, 
  the 
  beds 
  may 
  be 
  dug 
  over 
  again, 
  

   and 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  foUomng 
  spring 
  search 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  for 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  certain 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   missed. 
  

  

  "Under 
  natural 
  conditions 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  the 
  young 
  terrapins 
  do 
  not 
  feed 
  from 
  the 
  

   time 
  they 
  hatch 
  until 
  the 
  next 
  spring, 
  and 
  if 
  they 
  grow 
  during 
  this 
  period 
  the 
  growth 
  is 
  imper- 
  

   ceptible. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  if 
  hibernation 
  is 
  prevented 
  and 
  food 
  is 
  supphed 
  the 
  growth 
  is 
  

   steady, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  following 
  spring 
  they 
  have 
  increased 
  appreciably 
  in 
  size. 
  Furthermore, 
  

   the 
  young 
  ones 
  wlaich 
  have 
  been 
  fed 
  during 
  their 
  first 
  winter 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  secured 
  a 
  start 
  

   which 
  enables 
  them 
  to 
  continue 
  to 
  grow 
  more 
  rapidly 
  during 
  the 
  following 
  summer, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  

   lead 
  they 
  had 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  over 
  the 
  young 
  ones 
  which 
  had 
  hibernated 
  is 
  increased, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  

   time 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  j'ear 
  is 
  reached 
  they 
  mil 
  average 
  considerably 
  larger. 
  TMiether 
  feed- 
  

   ing 
  during 
  the 
  second 
  and 
  third 
  winters 
  is 
  desirable 
  appears 
  doubtful, 
  especially 
  if 
  several 
  

   hundred 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  cared 
  for. 
  The 
  young 
  terrapins, 
  however, 
  should 
  in 
  any 
  

   event 
  be 
  kept 
  apart 
  from 
  the 
  adults 
  for 
  at 
  least 
  one 
  full 
  year 
  and 
  preferably 
  longer. 
  So 
  far 
  as 
  

   is 
  known, 
  the 
  adults 
  do 
  not 
  intentionally 
  injure 
  the 
  young 
  ones, 
  but 
  in 
  a 
  crowded 
  pen 
  will 
  

   doubtless 
  kill 
  their 
  ofTsprmg 
  by 
  tramphng 
  over 
  them 
  and 
  depriving 
  them 
  of 
  food. 
  

  

  "The 
  tanks 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  young 
  terrapins 
  are 
  kept 
  may 
  be 
  constructed 
  of 
  planks, 
  or 
  wooden 
  

   or 
  metal 
  washtubs 
  may 
  be 
  utiUzed. 
  They 
  should 
  be 
  water 
  tight 
  and, 
  if 
  there 
  are 
  rough 
  sur- 
  

   faces 
  or 
  corners 
  up 
  which 
  the 
  terrapins 
  might 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  chmb, 
  a 
  projecting 
  shelf 
  should 
  run 
  

   around 
  the 
  top 
  to 
  prevent 
  escape. 
  An 
  average-sized 
  tub 
  or 
  a 
  tank 
  2 
  feet 
  square 
  ^^'ill 
  accom- 
  

   modate 
  about 
  50 
  young 
  terrapins, 
  and 
  the 
  animals 
  are 
  more 
  easily 
  cared 
  for 
  and 
  seem 
  to 
  do 
  

   better 
  if 
  they 
  are 
  divided 
  into 
  lots 
  of 
  about 
  that 
  number. 
  

  

  "A 
  Uttle 
  water, 
  either 
  fresh 
  or 
  salt, 
  should 
  be 
  put 
  into 
  each 
  tank 
  and 
  the 
  tank 
  then 
  tilted, 
  

   so 
  that 
  the 
  water 
  covers 
  half 
  the 
  bottom 
  ■^\ith 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  about 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  the 
  deepest 
  part. 
  

   A 
  1-inch 
  hole 
  with 
  a 
  plug 
  at 
  the 
  lowest 
  point 
  will 
  faciUtate 
  greatly 
  the 
  cleaning 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  tank. 
  

   The 
  tanks 
  maj' 
  be 
  kept 
  out 
  of 
  doors 
  in 
  some 
  well-shaded 
  place 
  until 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  cool 
  

   weather. 
  

  

  "Feeding 
  should 
  be 
  begun 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  young 
  ones 
  are 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  tanks. 
  The 
  food 
  

   used 
  may 
  be 
  finely 
  chopped 
  crabs 
  or 
  minced 
  fish, 
  the 
  latter 
  being 
  given 
  by 
  taking 
  a 
  chunk 
  of 
  

   fish 
  and 
  rubbing 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  hand 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  tank 
  until 
  a 
  quantity 
  of 
  flesh 
  has 
  been 
  rubbed 
  

   off. 
  Only 
  a 
  Uttle 
  food 
  should 
  be 
  given 
  at 
  a 
  time 
  and 
  care 
  should 
  be 
  taken 
  that 
  remnants 
  are 
  

   not 
  left 
  to 
  putrefy 
  and 
  foul 
  the 
  water. 
  

  

  "At 
  first 
  only 
  a 
  very 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  little 
  terrapins 
  will 
  eat, 
  but 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  days, 
  perhaps 
  with 
  

   some 
  coaxing, 
  all 
  or 
  nearly 
  all 
  will 
  learn 
  to 
  eat. 
  

  

  "If 
  the 
  young 
  terrapins 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  allowed 
  to 
  hibernate, 
  suitable 
  quarters 
  should 
  be 
  in 
  readi- 
  

   ness 
  for 
  them 
  by 
  the 
  time 
  cold 
  weather 
  sets 
  in. 
  A 
  box 
  3 
  feet 
  long, 
  1§ 
  feet 
  wide, 
  and 
  12 
  inches 
  

  

  