618 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



14, a large example in Hawk's marsh; November 4, several large 

 examples, some about 9 or 10 inches long, found dead on Yellow 

 River west of Knox. They had been killed by pearl hunters. 



Those taken May 17 and 18 were walking about on dry land as 

 if hunting- for a nesting site. We have never seen this species 

 in the lake; it is, rather, an inhabitant of small shallow ponds, 

 marshes and muddy ditches. 



Very little was learned regarding the habits of this turtle. As 

 only one of our specimens was found in the water, all the others 

 being out on the land, it appears that it is somewhat less aquatic 

 than the Speckled Turtle. On May 17 and 18 those observed walk- 

 ing about on the land had apparently come up out of the lake. They 

 acted as if hunting nesting sites, though we found none. 



The species is described as follows: 



Shell elongate oval, widest just behind the middle, without keel; 

 carapace not serrated behind; plastron large, entirely closing the 

 shell ; head long and wide ; limbs and feet scaly ; tail scaly, that of 

 male about one-fifth length of shell, that of female shorter. Color 

 dark green to black, each scute with several round, triangular or 

 oblong spots of yellow or orange, the marginal ones largest, all 

 sometimes wanting; plastron yellow, with the Outer posterior por- 

 tion with a brown blotch which sometimes covers the whole scute ; 

 head and neck above and along sides dusky, with numerous yellow 

 dots; chin, throat and under side of neck yellow; legs yellow, with 

 brown mottlings ; tail striped longitudinally with yellow and brown. 

 Length 9 inches or less. 



Dr. Hay states that the young of this species can be distin- 

 guished by the absence of yellow or orange spots on the shell, in 

 marked contrast with the young of the speckled turtle on which 

 the spots appear even before the young are hatched. 



9. BOX TURTLE 



TERRAPENE CAROLINA (Linnteus) 



The Box Turtle is found from New England to Texas and west- 

 ward to Iowa and Kansas. Although occurring throughout In- 

 diana, it is rare about Lake Maxinkuckee. The only record given 

 by Dr. Hay for northern Indiana is Marshall County. During our 

 observations there we saw only three specimens, as follows: 



April 13, 1901, a dead shell found near a small pond back of 

 the Farrar cottage at the south end of the lake. 



May 22, 1901, one caught in a ditch near the Tamarack swamp 

 west of the lake. 



