131
Concord, Mass.
1898
June 12
(No 3)
in her head but before another minute had passed 
she would frequently pop out another egg. When
the seventh (or rather eighth) had been laid the Turtle
began drawing the loose earth back over the hole
& packing it down firmly with her hind feet. We 
had to leave her then. At 7 P.M. I went back
& met her coming down the hill side. When I
got to the nest I had to look long & carefully
before I could find it although I knew its exact
position within ten or twelve inches. The Turtle had
sprinkled over it in the most cunning & in fact
artistic manner dry leaves and bits of grass
stems lightly laid & interlaced and matching
the surrounding surface exactly. When I removed
this debris I found the ground beneath as 
hard as if it had never been disturbed. It was
not until I had dug down to the eggs that I
felt sure that I really had the right spot.
Within a few yards were two other nests that
a Skunk had raided last night. I covered this
nest with wire netting weighted with heavy stones.
During the whole time we watched her the
Turtle did not once look back or even turn
her head. I do not think that she saw one
of her eggs.
  As I was sitting on Ball's Hill this evening listening
to the "Kicker" & two pumping Bitterns I heard a
Black Duck quacking & presently saw the bird
alight in a pool opposite Bensen's landing in
the Great Meadow.