154 Journal of the Mitchell Society. [Dec. 



water. On July lb, 1900, however, I saw one eating a piece of 

 canteloupe on land without taking- it into the water. Pseud' 

 emys concinna, the large smooth terrapin of our rivers, is also 

 apparently herbivorous, at least I have never detected one in 

 the act of eating- flesh. Our other species of Pseudemys, how- 

 ever, the Roug-h Terrapin (Pseudemys scriptd) is an omnivorous 

 feeder eating raw flesh, ripe fruit, and the leaves of succulent 

 plants. Like the two preceding it eats its food, mainly at least, 

 under water. The terrapins of the genus Chelopus seem to 

 be more omnivorous than Chrysemys or rather to show a less 

 decided preference for vegetable food. The Speckled Terra- 

 pin (Chelopus guttutus) has been observed to eat apple, pieces 

 of watermelon, sonchus leaves, dead snakes, fish scraps, etc, 

 usually taking its food into the water to eat it; the other two 

 species of the genus, however, (Chelopus insculptus and C. 

 mtihlenbergii) seem tc eat their food mainly on land, but are 

 however more terrestrial than C. guttatus which is in its turn 

 less aquatic than Chrysemys picta. 



The Box Tortoises or Highland Terrapins of the genus 

 Terrapene (Cistudo) which are terrestrial atid not aquatic have 

 been seen to eat raw flesh, dead birds, ripe and unripe fruit 

 such as apple, tomato, watermelon, canteloupe, plum and 

 persimmons and also occasionally the leaves of succulent 

 plants. June bugs are also eaten during the period of their 

 abundance. Their usual method of eating is to stretch the 

 head forward towards their food, seize a piece in the jaws,and 

 then jerk or pull the head backward so as to tear or cut the 

 piece away, the forefeet being usually braced against the food 

 or placed on it, while the portion to be swallowed is torn 

 away. The morsel of food is then crushed sufficiently by the 

 masticating surfaces of the jaws (turtles have no teeth) and 

 swallowed. There is no difference so far as I have been able 

 to observe in the food of the different species of Terrapene, 

 and I have had opportunities for observing T. Carolina, T. 

 major, T. triunguis, T. ornato, and T. bauri. 

 The Mud Turtle (Kinosternon pennsy Ivan icuni) is apparently 



