148 



Tliis is one of the (0111111011 turtles seen in ponds, ditches, and 

 shallow streams, in rows ou stones, logs and banks, and which upon 

 the slighest alarm slide into the water and hide in mud, swim away, 

 or stir up the mud and thus cloud the water so as to be concealed. 



Holbrook says of the Painted Turtle that it "frequents ditches, 

 ponds and pools, is abundant in rivers where the water is sluggish; 

 spends almost the whole day basking in the sun on the banks of 

 rivers, or on fallen trees or logs. Is very timid and escapes rapidly 

 when disturbed. Hibernates early and is first to be seen in the 

 spring. It takes the angler's hook readily. Its flesh is sometimes 

 eaten but not much esteemed." 



It hibernates in the deeper water of quiet ponds, especially where 

 there is an accumulation of submerged leaves. In seining for 

 fishes in the fall of the year, we have frequently caught -the net full 

 of turtles of this species in such place. 



There is no good rule for distinguishing the sexes in this species. 

 The usual rule of males having concavity in plastron does not hold 

 here. There is a difference in body proportions. This was deter- 

 mined by measuring a known number of males and females and 

 working out the ratios of length to width and height. The following 

 is a tabulated statement of the results of measurements of 29 males 

 and 19 females. 



Length greater than height, 



I 

 Length greater than width, 



2.64 — = 2.82 



H 



= 1.47 



This condensed table means that in the males the length is 2.64 

 .times the height and 1.21 times the width, while in the females the 

 length is 2.82 times the height and 1.47 times the width. It is thus 

 shown that the females are proportionately higher and broader 

 than the males, while they beconie not only proportionately but 

 actually larger in all dimensions. 



Our Pennsylvania collections of this species have been as follows: 



Berks county, Boyertown High School, Boyertown. 

 Berks county, Gruber, C. L., Kutztown. 

 Bucks county, Atkinson, Mrs. J. W., Buckingham. 

 Centre county. Cook, C. M., Bellefonte. 



