254 RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



I know a few wooded nooks, here and there, where they 

 can always be found, and for several years I have been 

 accustomed to meet with three old individuals which, in 

 1874, 1 carefully marked. Every summer I find them, and 

 I am almost persuaded that they recognize me. There is 

 in this secluded haunt of these turtles a bubbling spring, 

 which gives them water enough for a bath, though it is not 

 deep enough to afford them the luxury of a good dive and 

 a swim, such as delight those that live in the meadows. 

 So far as I could determine, these turtles ate animal food 

 exclusively, and appeared to burrow in the mud about the 

 spring for grubs, earth-worms, and such animal life as there 

 abounded. That certain plants, also, were eaten, is prob- 

 able, but I never saw them in the act of eating any vege- 

 table matter. It is difficult to realize how little can be 

 learned from watching turtles. 1 have often sat for an 

 hour or more, painfully quiet, in hopes that the turtles be- 

 fore me would go foraging, or at least ignore my presence 

 and act as if alone, but usually without success. Once 

 aware that a possible enemy is near, and the turtles will 

 remain as quiet as you aim to be. The most that can 

 be expected, is to come upon them suddenly when busy 

 feeding or otherwise engaged. Then, possibly, they will 

 not desist at once, and you may have a chance to make a 

 note of what you saw. Years in this way may roll by, 

 and at the last you will find yourself quite unprepared to 

 say much about them. This, I regret to say, has been my 

 experience. In the " American Naturalist " for March, 

 1870, the method of depositing the eggs of the female 

 rough-backed terrapin is thus described : " The animal 

 dug a circular ditch about thirteen inches in diameter, 

 heaping the dirt in the center, and then threw out this 

 pile of loose earth until the hole was about six inches 

 deep. In this depression was deposited eighteen eggs, 



