101 



\'(Mian«;o county, Tiavcllc licaii, l^mlciilon. 

 W'aynr coniity, Stevens. F. Win., Sterling;. 

 Wayne county, Bullock, W. 11.. llonesdale. 

 Wyoming; county. Baker, CJerdon, Noxen. 



"Occurs usually in dry tields. though also in meadows and alonj; 

 borders of streams in spring. 1j«'ss a(iuatic than any of the other 

 members of the family. In nnnierons cases the author found leeches 

 and Helicidae adherinj; lo (heir lej^s or tianks, which shows a means 

 of distribution for the iatlei- forms. They repair in autumn to 

 streams and ponds and prepare to hibernate by buryinjjf themselves 

 in mud. IMmid and retiriu}::, but when excessively irritated, will 

 snap. They emit a i>ipin^ note." — W. H. Smith, p. OaO. 



"An upland species and scarce. Is in demand as food. Some- 

 times lives in dry woods thouuh mostly are fdund alonj; banks of 

 streams." — Fowler, p. 243. 



"This, thonj^h jiiven as living mostly in ponds, appears to be the 

 most teiri'stial of our turtles, next lo the Common Box Turtle, and is 

 quite a good walker, raising itself well from the gronnd. It appears 

 constantly on guard, ready to defend itself." — Eug. Smith, 30. 



The Wood Turtle is liable to be found in any habitat or haunt 

 throughout its range where the conditions are suitable, or where 

 there are damp leaves in rather secluded woods. In fact it is seen 

 more out of the water than within this element and this no doubt 

 accounts for the large number of specimens which we have received 

 from contributors. Where it is found on dry land it is easily col 

 lected, whereas those species which live in water easily escape and 

 are not so often sent in by voluntary contributors. 



We have seen this turtle hibernating in comparatively dry woods 

 in Centre county, and recollect distinctly that one of the situations 

 was on a knoll or sloping hillock where there was considerable 

 decaying vegetation and many fallen leaves, with a temporary pool 

 only a few yards away. It makes a nest by digging a hole and turn- 

 ing around, adjusting the burrow to the size and shape of its body. 

 There it remains with only two or three inches of earth and leaves 

 over it the entire winter. Under the decaying veg(>tation and with 

 the warm earth helping to contribute heat, it remains tlu-re during 

 the winter. It is well known that in such places the eaith floes not 

 generally fi-eeze deejily, while the snow melts i-eadily. 



From our study of this siwcies we find that 7(5 per c«'nt. of those 

 containing food had eaten vegetabh' matter, nearly half of which 

 could not be determined because so badly broken, while 80 per cent. 

 had eaten animal matter. This means of course that some had 

 eaten both vegetable and animal tissue as food. 



Among those that had eaten animal tissue the number tliat had 

 eaten mollusks was rather large, considering that more than one- 



