220 Fresh Water Aquarium 



a firm white shell almost like that of a hird's 

 egg. They are usually laid in considerable 

 numbers, in sand)- places exposed to the sun. 

 After a few months the young turtles leave 

 the eggs and, if water turtles, go into the 

 water at once ; if, however, they are land 

 turtles, they look for a place on dry land, 

 where they can hide under plants, roots, 

 rocks or in small cavities in the ground. 

 While the sexes show very little or no dis- 

 tinction from each other, it is quite easy to 

 recognize the male turtle by a pronounced 

 depression in the plastron, about one-third 

 of its length from the head. During the 

 mating, this depression fits upon the cara- 

 pace of the female. 



In this volume we describe only such 

 species as will be useful for the aquarist,— 

 that is, the water turtles. To keep turtles 

 successfully, provision should be made to 

 enable them to leave the water when they 

 please. While a free floating piece of cork 

 may answer the purpose, a miniature rock 



