492 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACAD:EMY OF SCIENCE. 



On another occasion (November 19) we found a small live Painted 

 Turtle lying up side down on a log. It may have been left there by a musk- 

 rat or a raccoon. 



Leeches are often found on this turtle and doubtless cause it considerable 

 annoyance. All the turtles of the lake, but this one especially, usually harbor 

 the flat leech (Clespine) in considerable numbers. These are usually found 

 on the bare skin along the sides and in the axils of the arms, at Avhich time 

 they are probably sucking blood. The leeches are also frequently found on 

 the shell of the turtle, either on the carapace or plastron, but when in this 

 situation,, it is doubtful if they are obtaining any food. Winter seems to be 

 the period of greatest mortality with them; in spring, one occasionally finds 

 them lying about dead in such places as they make their winter quarters, 

 such as pools in Green's flat. Mention has already been made of the great 

 number that are destroyed by being run over by trains on the railroad and 

 by wagons on the public highway. Many are destroyed and many more 

 intolerably annoyed by thoughtless men and boys who shoot them or stone 

 them whenever they see them basking near shore. 



The Painted Turtle is easily distinguished from all other species of this 

 region by its shiny black, blue-black or brownish-black color, and bright 

 red on the neck. It may be described as follows: 



Sliell broad and depressed, broadest behind the middle; shell flaring pos- 

 teriorly, its surface* very smooth, no trace of keel even in the young. 



Color of carapace, dark green or greenish-black, the hinder border of the 

 costal and vertebral scutes narrowly bordered with black, the anterior border 

 with slightly wider bright red lines lying immediately against the black mar- 

 gin; the red or yellow lines not joining to form straight lines across the back; 

 a very narrow red line along middle of back; upper surfaces of marginal 

 plates with many crescent-shaped bright red marks; lower surfaces of the 

 marginals black, with large splotches of blood-red and bright yellow; plastron 

 bright yelloAv or brownish-red, with a large duskj^ blotch on central portion; 

 soft skin of head, legs and tail dark olive, with red stripes; two large waxy 

 yellow spots on back of head, nearly as large as eye, these ])rolonged back- 

 ward as 2 narrow pale yellow stripes; another short yellow strii)e from upper 

 corner of eye and another from lower side of eye back on neck; two red stripes 

 on front of each fore leg, and similar ones on posterior surfaces of thighs; be- 

 sides these, numerous small red spots all over soft parts. Sometimes, in the 

 brownish-black individuals, the sutures of the back are red. The red mark- 

 ings fade to yellow in alcohol. 



The claws of some of the painted turtles caught earlj- in the spring of 

 1901 (April 4) just after they came out of winter quarters, seemed to be 

 remarkal)ly long and sharp. Four examples were caught, and tlie length of 

 the middle claw of the front feet was taken. The claAv of the first was 14 inch 

 long, that of the second },4 inch long, that of the third 3 2 inch, and that of the 

 fourth ^ inch. The turtles were only of moderate size, the carapace being 

 about 43^ to 5 inches long. 



