76 BULLETIN OF THE ESSEX INSTITUTE. 



the fall, I buried this "turtle" under a foot or more of 

 dry earth placing him on soil at the bottom of a keg in 

 the cellar, and pouring more soil over him. In a day or 

 two, Mr. Emys was crawling on top of his covering. 

 Then I buried him in mud but he was soon treading it 

 under his feet. So in despair I put him in his old tub 

 moved to the cellar, with opportunity to stay in the water or 

 out of it as he pleased. He chose the former course. For 

 some weeks he showed signs of life. Then he retreated 

 into his shell, closed it, and remained apparently dormant 

 for several months in the water which did not freeze. 



In April last, we brought him out and offered him 

 living earth-worms, the only thing we ever found that he 

 would eat. He refused to touch them for several weeks, 

 but gradually his excellent appetite returned. It was the 

 same with a " wood-chuck " which at about the same time 

 we brought up from his winter's sleep in a barrel. At 

 first he would not touch his tid-bits but after a number 

 of days he awoke to full life and activity. 



A full-grown Blan ding's tortoise, which we kept for 

 several weeks would never eat anything — perhaps from 

 continued fear, perhaps because he "had his growth." 

 We have sometimes kept " mud turtles " through the entire 

 summer and released them when the first ice came, vigo- 

 rous but somewhat thin in flesh ( !) without their having 

 taken once during this period any visible nourishment. 

 This ability to endure abstinence may perhaps be included 

 under our subject. 



