132 



"Feeds upon frogs and fishes and snaps greedily at ducks in ponds, 

 dragging them under water to be devoured at leisure." — DeKay. 



•'Fish form the large portion of food. Young waterfowl are pulled 

 below the surface to drown and to be quickly torn to pieces by the 

 keen mandibles assisted by the front limbs. This Turtle Is entirely 

 carnivorous. It never feeds unless under water, even though some- 

 times seizing prey out of the water, it appears unable to swallow 

 unless the head is under water." — Ditmars. 



On the whole, the Snapping Turtle is more destructive than bene- 

 ficial in its feeding habits, particularly as it is liable to be a very 

 serious enemy of young ducks in pouds. It will continue to feed 

 upon them until the entire number that frequent such waters will 

 have disappeared. When this species occurs in a pond where water- 

 fowl are desired, it is best to bait a strong fish hook with tainted 

 meat or with cotton mixed with dough, and by means of a thin wire 

 tie this to a stake three or four feet long, which is slender enought to 

 spring or bend when pulled, and stick the stake into the mud at the 

 bank of the stream, throwing the hook into the water. By this 

 method the turtle is liable to be captured. 



FAMILY III. KINOSTERNID^. THE BOX TURTLES. 



The Turtles of this family can be recognized by the claws being 

 generally five in front and four behind. The tail is without crests 

 or spines; the lower jaw ends in a sharp point; carapace in general 

 highest behind the middle and composed of nine or eleven plates 

 with its edge meeting the plastron nearly vertically, and not flaring 

 out around the edge of the shell. The plastron has two lobes or 

 doors, one in front and one behind, so arranged as to swing as on 

 hinges, closing the shell more or less, forming a box, and thus being 

 responsible for the name "Box Turtles" being applied to this family. 

 Two genera and two species in this family are found in Pennsyl- 

 vania. These may be distinguished as follows: 



A. Hinder or posterior lobe of the plastron about the same length 

 as front or anterior lobe, both moving freely on hinges and capable 

 of closing the shell tightly. Carapace or upper shell without keel. 

 Kinosternon pennsylvanicum (Bosc). Mud Turtle. 



AA. Hinder lobe of plastron longer than the front and squarely 

 cut off behind but not notched. Both lobes but little movable and 

 incapable of closing the shell. Carapace with keel or ridge. Arom- 

 ochelys odoratus (Latreille). Musk Turtle. 



