480 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



make much progress in disposing of it, perhaps because the cold season was 

 coming on, when they probably eat little or nothing. On September 2, 3 or 4 

 were seen feeding on fresh cow dung m the edge ot Lost Lake. Professor 

 Newman saj-a they often contain Vinpara conlectoides. 



We have not been able to determine definitely the breedmg season of this 

 species. Among many examples collected November 1 (1904), several pairs 

 were copulating. On September L3 Q906), a pair were observed copulating, 

 the female lying prone, as if dead. September 20 (1907), a female found 

 crushed in the road contained eggs quite well developed. One was dissected 

 November 27 (1904), which contained eggs the size of marbles. October 4, 

 very small ones were abundant in shallow water near shore, some of them 

 shomng the placental attachment. These had probably hatched but recently. 

 Early in June, a good many va&y be seen walking about on the land, and we 

 supposed they were hunting nesting sites. Some very small ones were caught 

 May 6 and 7, 1901, so they probably either hatch quite late in the year, or 

 grow very slowly. This e\'idence is so conflict mg as to render any positive 

 statements regarding the breeding season hazai'dous. 



The enemies of the Musk Turtle do not appear to be many. On December 

 20 (1904), one was found at the Inlet turned upon its back and the soft parts 

 almost wholly gone — probably devoured by a muskrat, the tracks of which 

 were in evidence. Another wjis found November 27, partly devoured. 

 Apparently the muskrat oecasionglly catches one of these turtles or finds it 

 torpid during the winter season and feeds on it. At any rate, we found them 

 now and then (though not so frequently as we do the Painted Turtle) lying 

 on the ice, usually belly up with the flesh chewed out from the sides. The 

 muskrats were not actually caught doing the work, but as it took us some 

 time to catch them actually catching mussels and cleaning out their shells, 

 and as, on several occasions, muskrat tracks, and no other were seen corning 

 to the turtles, Ave are convinced we would lune caught them at it if our observa- 

 tions could have been longer continued. Probably the muskrats pick up the 

 turtles and lay them aside much as they do shells they are unable to open, 

 and after the turtles are frozen, devour them. 



These turtles are often infested by leeches which doubtless cause annoy- 

 ance, at least. 



Like the Snapper, the Musk Turtle is frequently covered with alg;e on 

 the back, the alga? often being quite long and thick. The proportion of turtles 

 covered with alga; varies with the season and conditions; in early summer, 

 before the scutes were shed, all or nearly all the turtles would probably be 

 covered; with the shedding of the epidermal scutes the turtle comes forth 

 clean of algse, and bright in color. 



During the late summer and early autumn of 1906, many small Musk 

 Turtles were seen sun-ounded by a white halo which was conspicuous at a 

 distance, very much resembling the general appearance of Saprolegnia on 

 fishes. It was found upon examination that the white growth consisted of a 



