152 Fishing in North Carolina. 



gins to scoop out a bigger opening below for 

 the nest proper; and the dirt is thrown out, 

 ditch-digger like, until a chamber has been ar- 

 ranged big enough and according to specifica- 

 tions, to aocommodate the prospective turtle 

 family. The interior arrangement somewhat 

 resembles a government bloekade whiskey still 

 of copper. The aperture resembles a well-made 

 crawfish hole in bad lands. 



The foremost part of the work being com- 

 pleted, she backs up and deposits an unbreak- 

 able egg, which goes through the shute to the 

 bottom, and then cutely covering the hole with 

 sticks, leaves or other stuff she wends her way, 

 turkey hen like, to meet her husband at the 

 watering place where they bathe, frolic and 

 feed. 



They start out with a real politician's esti- 

 mate of how many eggs it will take to fill that 

 hole in the ground, and they keep up the game 

 until it is chock-a-block, when they heap ou 

 earth, poimd it down hard, and leave the mat- 

 ter to the gTannyism of the sun. 



As adults they only make use of the oppov- 



