﻿398 
  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  Description. 
  — 
  In 
  this 
  species 
  the 
  shell 
  is 
  somewhat 
  flattened, 
  with 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  carapace 
  

   not 
  serrated; 
  the 
  shields 
  are 
  smooth 
  and 
  the 
  feet 
  show 
  a 
  reduction 
  in 
  the 
  degree 
  of 
  webbed 
  

   formation 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  our 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  genera 
  Chelydra, 
  Chrysemys, 
  Malaclemys. 
  

   The 
  upper 
  jaw 
  is 
  sUghtly 
  notched 
  in 
  front, 
  and 
  the 
  lower 
  jaw 
  is 
  arched 
  upward. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  

   complete 
  bony 
  temporal 
  arch. 
  The 
  legs 
  are 
  scaly. 
  In 
  the 
  male 
  the 
  plastron 
  is 
  slightly 
  concave 
  

   (see 
  measurements) 
  and 
  the 
  tail 
  is 
  longer 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  female. 
  

  

  Geographic 
  Distribution. 
  — 
  This 
  turtle 
  ranges 
  throughout 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  States 
  from 
  Maine 
  

   to 
  northern 
  Florida, 
  extending 
  westward 
  to 
  Ohio, 
  Indiana, 
  and 
  Michigan. 
  

  

  Neiu 
  England 
  Records. 
  — 
  The 
  Spotted 
  Turtle 
  is 
  reported 
  as 
  an 
  inhabitant 
  from 
  all 
  the 
  New 
  

   England 
  States. 
  In 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  the 
  Boston 
  Society 
  of 
  Natural 
  History 
  are 
  specimens 
  

   from: 
  (1) 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Augusta, 
  Maine; 
  (2) 
  Ipswich 
  and 
  (3) 
  Riverside, 
  Massachusetts. 
  

  

  Habitat. 
  — 
  It 
  occurs 
  in 
  ponds 
  and 
  streams 
  with 
  muddy 
  bottoms. 
  I 
  have 
  frequently 
  taken 
  

   it 
  in 
  salt 
  marshes. 
  It 
  not 
  uncommonly 
  travels 
  about 
  on 
  land 
  at 
  considerable 
  distances 
  from 
  

   water. 
  

  

  Numbers. 
  — 
  In 
  Maine 
  (about 
  the 
  northern 
  Umit 
  of 
  its 
  distribution) 
  this 
  turtle 
  is 
  reported 
  

   as 
  rare 
  (Verrill, 
  1863), 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  southern 
  New 
  England 
  States 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  common. 
  Storer 
  

   (1840) 
  considers 
  it 
  the 
  commonest 
  turtle 
  in 
  Massachusetts, 
  but 
  Chrysemys 
  picla 
  probably 
  holds 
  

   that 
  distinction. 
  Drowne 
  (1905) 
  reports 
  it 
  "common 
  in 
  the 
  Pawtucket 
  River," 
  (R. 
  I.). 
  Allen 
  

   (1868) 
  says 
  it 
  is 
  rarely 
  found 
  with 
  Chrysemys 
  picta. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  unusual, 
  however, 
  to 
  take 
  numer- 
  

   ous 
  specimens 
  of 
  each 
  from 
  a 
  given 
  limited 
  area. 
  

  

  Breeding 
  Habits. 
  — 
  In 
  New 
  England 
  the 
  laying 
  season 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  practically 
  coincides 
  

   with 
  that 
  of 
  Chrysemys 
  picta, 
  that 
  is, 
  from 
  the 
  10th 
  to 
  the 
  25th 
  of 
  June. 
  In 
  captivity 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   cess 
  of 
  lajang 
  may 
  be 
  delayed 
  several 
  months. 
  

  

  Two 
  or 
  three 
  (rarely 
  four) 
  white, 
  elUptical 
  eggs 
  (averaging 
  30 
  X 
  17 
  mm.) 
  are 
  deposited, 
  

   the 
  time 
  of 
  laying 
  being 
  in 
  the 
  late 
  afternoon 
  or 
  evening. 
  Copulation 
  takes 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  

   the 
  male 
  grasping 
  the 
  female 
  so 
  tightly 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  raise 
  them 
  both 
  by 
  lifting 
  the 
  

   former. 
  Following 
  this 
  function 
  the 
  males 
  appear 
  very 
  languid 
  for 
  several 
  days. 
  

  

  Growth. 
  — 
  Eggs 
  of 
  this 
  turtle 
  which 
  I 
  buried 
  in 
  sand 
  on 
  June 
  16 
  (1915) 
  hatched 
  on 
  Septem- 
  

   ber 
  6, 
  an 
  incubation 
  period 
  of 
  eighty-two 
  days. 
  The 
  young 
  showed 
  a 
  horny 
  tubercle 
  on 
  the 
  

   end 
  of 
  the 
  snout 
  and 
  a 
  single 
  yellow 
  dot 
  on 
  each 
  shield. 
  The 
  rate 
  of 
  growth 
  was: 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  were 
  active 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  hatched 
  and 
  were 
  excellent 
  cUmbers. 
  On 
  the 
  tenth 
  day 
  

   they 
  were 
  fed 
  angle 
  worms 
  and 
  thereafter 
  one 
  worm 
  on 
  every 
  second 
  day. 
  After 
  November 
  

   3d 
  (end 
  of 
  second 
  month) 
  nothing 
  was 
  eaten, 
  which 
  explains 
  the 
  cessation 
  in 
  growth. 
  They 
  

   did 
  not 
  survive 
  the 
  winter. 
  

  

  