SHORT STUDIES OF TURTLES. 255 



which were carefully covered and the earth made firm 

 above them." I have found many eggs of turtles in the 

 earth of recently-plowed fields, but never witnessed the 

 animal in the act of preparing the ground or depositing 

 the eggs. That all turtles exercise about the same care 

 as does the rough-backed terrapin, is probable. 



Quite early in autumn these turtles go into winter-quar- 

 ters, which in some instances is in the mud in immediate 

 proximity to springs. Here the water keeps the earth at 

 a uniform temperature, and free from ice even in the 

 severest weather. Early in April the long sleep is ended, 

 and quite limp, and I judge very hungry, out come the 

 turtles and live on sunshine for many days. By the be- 

 ginning of May, however, they seem to regain their 

 vigor and appetite, for then they have been seen to dive 

 upon the little cricket-frogs, or " peepers," which swarm 

 by thousands in the meadows and swampy sink-holes in 

 the uplands. 



Muhlenberg's turtle is an exceedingly dull-colored, 

 unattractive species, having no bright points or lines to 

 relieve the uniform brown-black of its upper shell. The 

 species may be at once recognized, however, by the large, 

 usually confluent, bright orange spots on the back of its 

 neck. Nothing at all similar to these spots is found on 

 any other of our American turtles. 



Early in May, 1881, I was so fortunate as to find two 

 pairs of these rare turtles. They were in the mud of a 

 shallow ditch in the meadow. Their movements, when 

 discovered, were exceedingly sluggish. They made no 

 effort to escape, and when handled offered no resistance. 

 On the contrary, each withdrew its head, feet, and tail 

 within its shell, making a scarcely audible hissing sound 

 as it did so. 



These four specimens I kept in captivity for a short 

 17 



