﻿424 
  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  tiude 
  naked 
  among 
  the 
  viscera. 
  The 
  legs 
  are 
  mthdrawn 
  horizontally, 
  and 
  the 
  skin 
  sUps 
  off 
  

   so 
  far 
  that 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  surround 
  them, 
  except 
  below 
  the 
  knees 
  and 
  elbows. 
  When 
  thus 
  with- 
  

   drawn, 
  the 
  humerus 
  is 
  carried 
  round 
  into 
  or 
  before 
  the 
  widespread 
  scapular 
  arch, 
  the 
  elbow 
  

   being 
  placed 
  very 
  near 
  the 
  head 
  or 
  neck; 
  the 
  fore 
  leg 
  and 
  foot 
  are 
  tiirned 
  back 
  upon 
  the 
  humerus, 
  

   the 
  flat 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  foot 
  being 
  nearly 
  horizontal, 
  so 
  that 
  its 
  outer 
  edge 
  rests 
  against 
  the 
  

   humerus. 
  The 
  knee 
  is 
  carried 
  almost 
  directly 
  forward, 
  the 
  fore 
  leg 
  turned 
  backward 
  against 
  

   the 
  femur, 
  and 
  the 
  foot 
  again 
  turned 
  somewhat 
  forward, 
  its 
  flat 
  surface 
  being 
  nearly 
  horizontal. 
  

  

  "It 
  is 
  easy 
  to 
  perceive 
  the 
  close 
  relations 
  which 
  exist, 
  in 
  this 
  family, 
  between 
  the 
  mode 
  of 
  

   locomotion, 
  the 
  movements 
  and 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  limbs, 
  and 
  the 
  general 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  The 
  

   limbs 
  for 
  example, 
  move 
  and 
  are 
  withdrawn 
  horizontally 
  ; 
  so 
  also 
  is 
  the 
  body 
  ■widely 
  stretched 
  

   out 
  horizontally, 
  and 
  moreover 
  it 
  is 
  flat 
  and 
  low. 
  The 
  flat 
  front 
  end 
  offers 
  Uttle 
  resistance 
  

   to 
  the 
  water 
  before 
  it; 
  its 
  sharp 
  outer 
  edge 
  offers 
  as 
  httle 
  resistance 
  also 
  to 
  the 
  water 
  which 
  

   is 
  driven 
  back 
  by 
  the 
  fore 
  feet. 
  Again, 
  this 
  low 
  end 
  is 
  well 
  adapted 
  to 
  entering 
  the 
  mud, 
  and 
  

   the 
  fore 
  feet 
  to 
  loosen 
  and 
  remove 
  as 
  much 
  of 
  it 
  as 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  enable 
  them 
  to 
  bury 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  in 
  the 
  soft 
  ground. 
  The 
  flattening 
  of 
  the 
  carapace 
  backward 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  allow 
  free 
  

   horizontal 
  movement 
  to 
  the 
  hind 
  legs." 
  

  

  Thompson 
  wrote 
  regarding 
  his 
  Vermont 
  specimens: 
  "This 
  species 
  resembles 
  the 
  sea-turtle, 
  

   in 
  its 
  structiire 
  and 
  habits, 
  much 
  more 
  than 
  our 
  other 
  tortoises. 
  It 
  leads 
  a 
  more 
  aquatic 
  Ufe, 
  

   and, 
  probably 
  seldom, 
  if 
  ever, 
  crawls 
  out 
  upon 
  the 
  land, 
  except 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  depositmg 
  its 
  

   eggs. 
  On 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  shortness 
  of 
  its 
  legs, 
  and 
  the 
  great 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  shell, 
  it 
  travels 
  upon 
  

   land 
  with 
  much 
  difficulty, 
  especially 
  where 
  the 
  sxuiace 
  is 
  uneven, 
  or 
  covered 
  with 
  vegetation. 
  

   Its 
  flesh 
  is 
  esteemed 
  a 
  wholesome 
  and 
  nutritious 
  article 
  of 
  food." 
  

  

  In 
  captivity 
  these 
  turtles 
  thrive 
  if 
  provided 
  with 
  suitable 
  environment. 
  My 
  young 
  

   specimens 
  were 
  fond 
  of 
  bmying 
  themselves 
  completely, 
  except 
  for 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  snout, 
  in 
  the 
  

   sand 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  tank, 
  and 
  would 
  remain 
  there 
  for 
  hours. 
  

  

  Food 
  Habits. 
  — 
  The 
  Soft-shelled 
  Turtle 
  is 
  a 
  voracious 
  feeder 
  and 
  is 
  chiefly 
  carnivorous; 
  

   fresh-water 
  moUusks 
  (Anodonta 
  and 
  Campeloma), 
  small 
  fish, 
  tadpoles, 
  frogs, 
  and 
  other 
  aquatic 
  

   life 
  constitute 
  its 
  diet. 
  Surface 
  found 
  the 
  stomach 
  contents 
  of 
  two 
  turtles 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  to 
  

   be 
  composed 
  of 
  crayfish, 
  beetles 
  and 
  other 
  insects. 
  It' 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  scavenger. 
  

  

  Economic 
  Importance. 
  — 
  This 
  turtle, 
  where 
  abundant, 
  is 
  sold 
  and 
  used 
  for 
  food. 
  In 
  

   Japan 
  the 
  Soft-shelled 
  Turtle 
  (A. 
  japonica) 
  is 
  raised 
  commercially 
  on 
  "turtle 
  farms" 
  and 
  

   assumes 
  the 
  place 
  occupied 
  among 
  " 
  gastronomical 
  delicacies" 
  by 
  the 
  Diamond-back 
  Terrapin 
  

   in 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  Green 
  Tiu-tle 
  in 
  England. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  estimated 
  that 
  the 
  out- 
  

   put 
  from 
  one 
  establishment 
  for 
  their 
  artificial 
  propagation 
  was 
  82,000 
  eggs, 
  producing 
  70,000 
  

   young 
  tm-tles 
  in 
  one 
  year 
  (1904). 
  

  

  Boulenger 
  (1914, 
  p. 
  40) 
  quotes 
  the 
  follo\ving 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  capturing 
  another 
  

   species, 
  the 
  Amyda 
  gangetica 
  (Asia); 
  "In 
  hunting 
  for 
  the 
  soft 
  Turtles 
  in 
  the 
  hill 
  streams, 
  the 
  

  

  