TURTLES AND BATRACHIANS OF THE LAKE REGION. 491 



feet. The eggs appear to hatch out late in the fall. On September 28 a nest 

 of 10 young, each about an inch long was dug up in a potato field on Long 

 Point. Favorite nesting sites are the sandy slopes of the railroad grade and 

 the Assembly grounds, the field south of Green's flat, and the north shore of 

 Long Point. Soon after hatching the young seek the nearest Avater, crawl 

 into the mad, and remain until spring. 



In the fall they seem restless and wander about a great deal. They are 

 often seen crossing the railroad between the main lake and Lost Lake. The 

 number killed by passing trains is astonishingly great. It is probably within 

 safe limits to say that not fewer than a hundred are killed at Maxinkuekee 

 every year by passing trains. Many are also killed by wagons on the public 

 highway. 



Along with the painted turtles killed in these ways there are killed a 

 good many map turtles and a lew each of the snappers and musk turtles, 

 as well as a great many frogs, toads and snakes. 



The Painted Turtle muds up and hibeniates during the winter. We never 

 observed many under the ice. Early in the fall those about Outlet Bay and 

 along the west side of the Lake tend to migrate to Lost Lake, or more definitely 

 to Green's flat and the shallow ponds along the railroad below the Outlet. 



Here they "mud up" for a brief period. The first warm days of March 

 call them forth, however, and they may again be seen on the logs and chunks 

 basking in the sun. 



The food of this turtle consists chiefly of small mollusks, crustaceans, 

 insect larvae, and dead fish. On June 6 a Painted Turtle and a Stink-pot 

 were observed both feeding on a floating dead fish, and at other times we have 

 seen the former species feeding upon dead fish. In every ease the turtles 

 began eating at the caudal end of the fish. 



We have no evidence that this species ever catches live fish. The stomach 

 of one examined October 8 contained a quantity of Spirogy ra. Others examined 

 contained Spirogyra and quantiti(s of another alga, Lingbya; another con- 

 tained some Naias. This turtle is therefore largely a vegetable feeder. It is 

 probably chiefly a scavenger and in this capacity serves a useful purpose in 

 freeing the lake beaches of dead fishes, waterdogs, and the like, which wash 

 up on the shore in considerable numbers. 



This turtle is not often used as food, although there is no reason why it 

 should not be so utilized. It has no disagreeable odor and the flesh is doubt- 

 less tender, palatable and nutritious. 



The enemies of the Painted Turtle are not many. Among animals, doubt- 

 less the worst is the muskrat. On December 18 a large example of this turtle 

 was found at Norris Inlet, turned on its back and partly devoured. Musk- 

 rat tracks were the only ones about, and it is evident that that animal had 

 been feeding on it. It is this turtle more than any other that is found, back 

 up, on tussocks in the winter along tbe Inlet and Outlet, and with the body 

 more or less gnawed away, probably the work of muskrats. 



