142 



But little is to be found in literature concerning the habits and 

 haunts of the Map Turtle, chiefly because it is rare as an eastern 

 species, where most of our writers have made their observations. 

 Hay says that ''the food consists of animals of various kinds," and 

 Prof. Gorman found by strict examinations that those which he dis- 

 sected had fed exclusively upon mollusks, the young eating the thin- 

 shelled species and the adults the larger and thicker kinds. "Thirty 

 specimens caught at Lake Maxinkuckee, Indiana, were found to con- 

 tain opercles of water gastropods, and one the remains of a cray- 

 fish, some fish scales and what were apparently caddice worm cases. 

 Its broad masticatory surfaces are well fitted for crushing the shells 

 of mollusks." — Hay, page 576. 



"Will eat chopped fish, meat, meal worms, earth worms and soft- 

 bodied grubs in captivity. Observed to eat the edges of water lily 

 pads. None wintered alive in ponds in New York. Evidently some 

 article of food was lacking." — Ditmars Reptile Book, page 44. 



Hay found sixteen eggs in a large female Map Turtle, and reports 

 a character in common with most species of turtles, that the 

 females seemed to be larger than the males. There is very little 

 published concerning the egg-laying habits, young or food of this 

 turtle, but it is evident that it is more beneficial than obnoxious, 

 because it feeds mostly upon invertebrates rather than upon fishes. 

 DeKay, page 19, makes an interesting statement; "It is not un- 

 common in the streams of New York falling into Lake Erie. I am 

 assured that their flesh is very palatable. They are exceedingly 

 active and vigorous." 



Species 8. Graptemys pseudogeographicus (Holb.). The False Map 

 Turtle. [Malacoclemmys pseudographicus (Holb.).] 



The False Map Turtle is given this common name by the plain 

 translation of its specific name which means "false map.". The 

 "map" refers to the marks on the shell. This turtle has been called 

 the Pseudographio Tortoise and Le Sueur's Map Turtle. Both 

 names seem unfitted as common names, and we offer this as one 

 which would be distinctive and at the same time indicate the proper 

 species to which it should be applied. 



It is similar to geographicus, but grayer, the markings on the 

 shell paler, less distinct and in larger pattern; keel of carapace 

 stronger, each plate of the vertebral series with a blackish projec- 

 tion behind, which is more or less imbricated over the succeeding 

 plate; plastron yellowish, marbled; with blackish head; neck and 

 legs with bright yellow stripes. 



This turtle is given in literature as occurring in Michigan, Ohio, 

 Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and Louisiana. 

 DeKay also reports its occurrence in Lake Erie. We have no evi- 



