256 RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



time, and then placed them in the Museum of Compara- 

 tive Zoology, at Cambridge, Massachusetts. Before part- 

 ing with them, I determined conclusively that these tur- 

 tles possessed well-defined vocal powers ; but I have not 

 been able to learn that in their new home they ever ex- 

 ercised them in the hearing of their custodian. To this 

 subject I will return. 



In May, 1882. my son found a single specimen of 

 these turtles in a small swamp. It was crawling at the 

 time on the muddy margin of a spring brook. This 

 specimen was placed in an inclosure about six feet square, 

 in which was a shallow basin, filled with water, sunk to 

 the level of the ground. This basin of water w r as at once 

 discovered by the turtle, and straightway occupied, to its 

 evident satisfaction. In the course of a few days the 

 turtle became quite ill at ease, and wandered restlessly 

 about, anxiously looking for some opening in the pen 

 as I thought through which it might escape. Finally, 

 it dug a shallow hole in one corner of the inclosure, and 

 sat therein much of the time. I had hopes that it would 

 burrow deeply, and thus make an effort to escape ; but it 

 did not seem dispossd to do so, although the earth was a 

 loose sand, through which a land-tortoise could have made 

 rapid progress. I therefore incline to believe that in 

 winter these turtles hibernate in the mud, beneath the 

 water of ditches or ponds, rather than bury themselves 

 in higher and drier localities. 



Ten days later my son was fortunate enough to find 

 a pair of these turtles, in the same meadow-ditch from 

 which I had taken my specimens the preceding summer. 

 These turtles were evidently mated. They certainly 

 were very affectionate, and remained constantly together. 

 Here it may be well to refer to a passage in Agassiz's 

 monograph on our turtles. On page 300, he remarks: 



