Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 593 



None has been seen in the winter, and we were uncertain where 

 they spend that part of the year, until in the autumn of 1906 (Sept. 

 6) an example 5 inches long was found buried up to the eyes in mud 

 at the edge of Lost Lake. It is probable that all of them bury 

 themselves in the mud in the bottom of the lake. As none was seen 

 moving under the ice, it is thought that they spend the winter 

 in a quiescent state. The last one seen swimming about was noted 

 in Lost Lake Sept. 7, 1906. 



This turtle is fond of basking during the hotter portions of 

 the year. At this lake it generally prefers sandy or grassy bits 

 of shore and is not often seen on stakes or boards. One of its 

 favorite haunts was the sandy stretch of shore near Farrar's. 

 They also basked in numbers at the edges of small pools in the 

 Inlet marsh. Before the shore was cleared off, they used to bask 

 in great numbers along the south shore of Outlet Bay. On June 11 

 many of these, with other species, were seen basking at this place 

 and when a rush was made at them from a boat, they scattered in 

 every direction, many of them hiding under a large, dense, floating 

 mass of algaa which was along the shore at that place. The Soft- 

 shells that took refuge under the algae thrust up their heads now 

 and then to see what was going on. Several were caught. Even 

 when stationary they are hard to catch and hold by hand; the tail 

 is too short and slippery to hold, and it is necessary to grasp them 

 by the sides, but this permits them to claw one's hand severely. 

 They are very pugnacious, and though the gape is not sufficiently 

 large to allow them to get a very deep hold, even a small example 

 is able to give a very severe pinch. 



In some places this species basks not only on the sandy shore, 

 but also on any log, board or other object upon which they can 

 crawl. In Wild Cat Creek just below the bridge near Stonebrak- 

 er's mill east of Burlington, Carroll Co., Indiana, hundreds have 

 been seen on the large boulders with which the bed of the creek 

 was strewn. There they would remain for hours basking in the 

 sunshine, sliding quietly into the water if a passer-by came too 

 near, but soon returning to bask again until evening or until again 

 disturbed. 



At Maxinkuckee they begin laying about the middle of June 

 and continue until perhaps near the end of July. A large female 

 killed June 14 contained 33 eggs of various sizes, but none fully 

 developed; another killed on the same date contained several eggs 

 in the large distended oviduct, but none was ready for laying. 

 Still another examined June 17 had eggs ready to deposit. The next 

 day a nest with about 30 eggs in it was found near the ice-houses. 



