SHORT STUDIES OF TURTLES. 257 



" The legs " of turtles " which, as in lizards, seem to 

 be subservient only to locomotion, perform, in addition, 

 functions which we would hardly suppose in these ani- 

 mals. Professor Jeffries Wyman had once the rare op- 

 portunity of watching two painted turtles while making 

 love, and he saw the male caressing and patting the head 

 of the female with its fore-feet for several minutes." 



On the 3d of June, my son found a second pair of 

 these turtles. I had now five individuals in the inclosure 

 referred to. The small basin, which was kept well filled 

 with water, was the point of attraction of their cramped 

 surroundings. It was continually occupied by three of 

 them, as there was no room for the others ; but, on the 

 other hand, the others closely watched the occupants of 

 the basin, and promptly took their places when they ven- 

 tured forth for a stroll about the pen. It was a contest 

 between the " ins " and the " outs " the while ; but, so 

 far as I could discover, was carried on quite good-na- 

 turedly. Nothing like fighting was noticed, although I 

 closely observed them myself unseen by them daily, 

 for a long time. Their appreciation of the little basin 

 of water quite convinced me that these turtles are essen- 

 tially aquatic, and not a " wood-tortoise," as they are 

 called in the text-books. Two, probably three, of the 

 five individuals were females, but no eggs were deposited, 

 nor did I find any evidences of digging in the inclosure, 

 as though a desire for ovipositing possessed them. The 

 breeding habits of Muhlenberg's turtle are, I presume, 

 essentially the same as those of the rough-backed ter- 

 rapin, the nearest allied species. This common turtle 

 digs a hole some six or eight inches in depth, and twice 

 this measurement in diameter. The bottom is patted 

 down with the fore-feet until quite firm. In this excava- 

 tion the eggs are deposited, and subsequently very neatly 



