TURTLES AND BATRACHIANS OF THE LAKE REGION. 485 



The Musk Turtle may be known from the following description: 

 Carapace rather long and narrow, the outlme rising gradually from the 

 front to a point beyond the center, then abruptly descending, the bulk of the 

 body, therefore, thrown backwards; margin of carapace turning downward 

 and inward rather than outward; shell dusky, clouded, sometimes spotted; 

 neck with 2 yellow stripes, one from above the eye, the other from below 

 it; head very large, with strong jaws; carapace with traces of a keel. Length 

 6 inches or less. 



4. Graplemys geogra-phicxis (Le Sueur). 

 Map Turtle. 



The Map Turtle is found from the Mississippi Valley eastward to New 

 York, but is more common in the western part of its range. It is common 

 everywhere in the lakes and larger streams of Indiana. 



At Lake Maxinkuckee it is by far the most abundant turtle and is found 

 in all parts of the lake; the heads may often be seen sticking up above the 

 surface even in the deeper portions of the lake. Like most of the other turtles 

 of the lake, however, they prefer shallow bays. Examples have been taken 

 almost everywhere about the shores of the lake. It occurs in both lakes, in 

 the lagoons between them, in the Inlet and Outlet, and perhaps also in the 

 smaller streams about the lake. It does not travel far from shore, and is 

 not found in the pools and woodland ponds of the region. 



The Map Turtle makes its appearance swimming at the surface or basking, 

 early in the spring; the first seen in 1901 was on April 27, and they were 

 seen in gradually increasing numbers from that time on. They are very 

 abundant from May on to August or September. They are essentially aquatic 

 in their habits and are never seen away from the water except when laying 

 their eggs. Though most numerous near the shore and in protected bays, 

 they may often be seen far from shore out in the lake, slowly swimming about 

 or quietly resting at the surface. When approached, they sink silently be- 

 neath the surface, swim slowly a short distance, again come up and rest with 

 head above the water as before. In our seining operations about the lake 

 small Map Turtles were taken at nearly every haul. They were particularly 

 abundant in the patches of Scirpus and on sandy bottom covered with a 

 growth of Chara. They were less common among the Potamogetons, My- 

 riophyllum and Ceratophyllum. A few can usually be seen on any log, board 

 or other floating object of sufficient size and stability, but they most delight 

 in low, sandy, somewhat grassy beaches. A favorite basking place of this 

 kind is on the south side of Outlet Bay near the wagon bridge. Here a score 

 or more could often be see. They would crawl out upon the shore about 

 8 or 9 o'clock in the morning, or earlier if the day were bright and warm, 

 and there they would remain for many hours. They usually rest quietly 

 basking in the sun, occasionally moving about a little. From the amount of 



