THE HATCHING OF THE TURTLES 137 



and greedily ate the flies. Toward fall the 

 Naturalist decided that they should no longer 

 be compelled to live in such a little pond, but 

 that they should be free to grow as big as their 

 mother. They had grown but little in the 

 year spent in the aquarium, probably from 

 lack of proper food, although these reptiles 

 do not make very much growth in a single 

 year. One day they were taken to the river 

 and released in the water by the bridge. 

 They were quick to appreciate the larger free- 

 dom and immediately disappeared beneath the 

 muddy water. 



