﻿DIAMOND-BACK 
  TERRAPIN. 
  395 
  

  

  deep, 
  with 
  top, 
  bottom, 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  gah'anized 
  wire 
  netting, 
  the 
  cover 
  being 
  hinged, 
  should 
  

   be 
  sunk 
  in 
  the 
  ground 
  in 
  some 
  place 
  where 
  the 
  drainage 
  is 
  good 
  so 
  that 
  its 
  top 
  is 
  level 
  with 
  the 
  

   surface. 
  The 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  box 
  should 
  be 
  filled 
  with 
  sand, 
  and 
  the 
  terrapins 
  placed 
  about 
  5 
  

   inches 
  below 
  the 
  surface. 
  The 
  place 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  disturbed 
  until 
  the 
  following 
  spring, 
  unless 
  

   there 
  is 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  something 
  has 
  gone 
  wrong. 
  At 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  warm 
  weather 
  

   the 
  next 
  season, 
  about 
  April 
  15 
  or 
  May 
  1, 
  the 
  box 
  should 
  be 
  opened 
  up, 
  the 
  terrapins 
  removed 
  

   to 
  the 
  tanks, 
  and 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  they 
  have 
  become 
  active 
  should 
  be 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  special 
  pen 
  made 
  

   to 
  hold 
  them. 
  Thereafter 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  fed 
  daily 
  on 
  finely 
  chopped 
  food. 
  

  

  "If 
  it 
  is 
  decided 
  to 
  feed 
  the 
  young 
  terrapins 
  through 
  the 
  winter, 
  some 
  building 
  must 
  be 
  

   available 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  temperature 
  can 
  be 
  maintained 
  at 
  about 
  70 
  or 
  80 
  degrees 
  through 
  the 
  

   coldest 
  weather. 
  At 
  Beaufort, 
  when 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  young 
  were 
  handled 
  in 
  this 
  manner, 
  the 
  engine 
  

   house, 
  near 
  the 
  laboratory, 
  was 
  utilized, 
  but 
  as 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  young 
  ones 
  increased 
  it 
  became 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  provide 
  a 
  special 
  building. 
  This 
  is 
  constructed 
  somewhat 
  hke 
  a 
  greenhouse, 
  

   with 
  the 
  south 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  roof, 
  which 
  is 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  north 
  slope, 
  almost 
  entirely 
  of 
  glass. 
  

   The 
  size 
  is 
  25 
  feet 
  6 
  inches 
  by 
  15 
  feet 
  4 
  inches. 
  In 
  this 
  building 
  about 
  2,000 
  young 
  terrapins 
  

   can 
  be 
  housed. 
  

  

  "In 
  winter 
  quarters 
  the 
  young 
  terrapins 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  allowed 
  to 
  hibernate 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  fed 
  

   and 
  otherwise 
  cared 
  for 
  exactly 
  as 
  if 
  they 
  were 
  out 
  of 
  doors. 
  If 
  the 
  temperature 
  is 
  kept 
  at 
  

   about 
  75" 
  F. 
  they 
  will 
  show 
  no 
  desire 
  to 
  hibernate 
  and 
  will 
  continue 
  to 
  feed. 
  Beyond 
  furnish- 
  

   ing 
  food 
  and 
  keeping 
  up 
  the 
  heat 
  supply 
  the 
  only 
  care 
  required 
  is 
  cleanhness. 
  Decaying 
  food 
  

   must 
  not 
  be 
  left 
  in 
  the 
  tanks 
  and 
  the 
  water 
  should 
  be 
  changed 
  once 
  a 
  day 
  at 
  least. 
  In 
  the 
  

   spring 
  the 
  terrapins 
  are 
  put 
  into 
  out-of-door 
  pens 
  and 
  are 
  fed 
  as 
  the 
  others 
  are. 
  

  

  "Rate 
  of 
  Growth. 
  

  

  "Throughout 
  the 
  experimental 
  work 
  a 
  careful 
  record 
  has 
  been 
  kept 
  of 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  all 
  

   the 
  young 
  or 
  selected 
  lots 
  of 
  100 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  each 
  season's 
  hatch. 
  When 
  first 
  hatched, 
  the 
  

   average 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  terrapin 
  is 
  about 
  1§ 
  inches 
  (28.21 
  millimeters), 
  the 
  smallest 
  being 
  a 
  little 
  

   less 
  than 
  an 
  inch 
  (24 
  milUmeters) 
  and 
  the 
  largest 
  about 
  l| 
  inches 
  long. 
  In 
  the 
  few 
  weeks 
  of 
  

   activity 
  before 
  hibernation 
  takes 
  place 
  they 
  grow 
  very 
  little 
  and 
  the 
  next 
  spring 
  they 
  average 
  

   certainly 
  no 
  larger 
  and 
  probably 
  slightly 
  smaller 
  than 
  when 
  they 
  went 
  into 
  winter 
  quarters. 
  

  

  "During 
  their 
  first 
  sunamer, 
  if 
  properly 
  cared 
  for, 
  they 
  will 
  add 
  a 
  little 
  over 
  an 
  inch 
  to 
  

   this 
  length 
  and 
  the 
  next 
  spring 
  will 
  emerge 
  from 
  hibernation 
  a 
  little 
  over 
  2 
  inches 
  long. 
  Dur- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  second 
  summer 
  another 
  addition 
  of 
  about 
  an 
  inch 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  their 
  length 
  and 
  they 
  will 
  

   emerge 
  from 
  their 
  third 
  hibernation 
  about 
  3 
  inches 
  long. 
  These 
  measurements 
  include 
  both 
  

   sexes. 
  

  

  "Up 
  to 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  their 
  third 
  summer 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  rarely 
  possible 
  to 
  distinguish 
  the 
  

   sexes 
  with 
  any 
  degree 
  of 
  certainty, 
  but 
  as 
  the 
  season 
  progresses 
  the 
  differences 
  become 
  evident 
  

  

  