183 



not intentionally eaten by Turtles, although these animals might eat 

 the infected leaves of most plants. Other species of fungi are the 

 familiar Mushrooms and Toadstools, which were found eaten by the 

 Wood Turtle and the Common Box Turtle. The latter is known to 

 feed extensively upon this form of vegetation. 



The Mosses: — The Bryophata, or Mosses and Liverworts, con- 

 tributed their quota to the food of at least three species of Turtles, 

 as shown by the table. These are the Painted Turtle, the Wood 

 Turtle and the Common Box Turtle. 



Many of the portions of flowering plants eaten were, of course, 

 only fragments that could not be determined. In many cases the 

 miscroscope showed vegetable fibre only, but in other cases it was 

 possible to determine what part of the plant had been eaten. It is 

 to be observed that the Painted Turtle, the Wood Turtle and the 

 Common Box Turtle were among the most extensive feeders on 

 vegetation. Two specimens of the Common Box Turtle were found 

 to contain the roots of some kind of plant, and five Painted Ttirtles 

 had fed upon plant stems, while two Snapping Turtles, thirty-six 

 Painted Turtles, one Speckled Turtle and five Box Turtles had fed 

 upon the leaves of flowering plants. One Box Turtle contained 

 undetermined bugs, and three contained unrecognizable berries. 

 The single specimen of Muhlenberg's Turtle that was examined 

 contained only berries that were beyond recognition. Undetermined 

 seeds were found in the stomachs of the Snapping Turtle, the 

 Painted Turtle, the Wood Turtle, Speckled Turtle and the Common 

 Box Turtle. Grasses were found to have been eaten by Thirties as 

 follows: Three Snappers, three Painted Turtles, nine Wood Turtles, 

 two Speckled Turtles and eight Common Box Turtles. These con- 

 tained the blades or leaves of undetermined species of grasses. 



The little flowering plant known as the Duck Weed, which is one 

 of the smallest of flowering plants and often taken as food of ducks 

 or other herbivorous aquatic birds and Water Arum leaves, were 

 found in the stomach of the Painted Turtle, while the Skunk Cab- 

 bage was eaten by the Snapper, and birch leaves by the Wood 

 Turtle. The seeds of Dock and Smart-Weed were found in the 

 stomach of the Painted Turtle, while the fruit of the Papaw was 

 found eaten by the W^ood Turtle, and the fruit of the May Apple 

 was devoured by the Common Box Turtle. The seeds and buds of 

 Pepper Grass (Lapidium) were found to have been eaten by the^ 

 Painted Turtle and the fruit of the blackberry was found in the 

 Stomach of a Wood Turtle and also three Common Box Turtles, 

 while one Wood Turtle had eaten strawberries. 



Apple seeds were found in the stomach of the Snapping Turtle, 

 the Wood Turtle and two Box Turtles. This shows the tendency of 

 such species to feed upon whatever fruits may be available for them. 



