296
Cambridge, Mass.
1898.
Oct. 22.
  About two weeks ago I learned through John Sheehan that
there were some turtles eggs in the garden where they had
been set out by Gilbert about the end of June. Wm. Brewster
had come upon the turtle, a big snapper, laying her eggs in
Concord not far from the cabin. The date was, I think, June
20th last. The eggs were taken up and set out in the ground
in another place near by and about the end of June Gilbert
took up some and took them to Cambridge in a strawberry-box
filled with dirt. He set them out in the box in the garden
here in the north west corner, just [sic] south of the asparagus bed.
  I visited the spot when I learned that the eggs were
there and was shown the place. Some short sticks marked the
boundaries within which was the box hidden under the soil.
With a stick I carefully found the box and pried up one egg
which I found was broken almost in two, the haves held to
gether by a slight connection which acted as a hinge. Open-
ing the egg a little I saw within a small turtle well formed
and completely filling the shell. A thin transparent membrane
still covered the little creature. I immediately closed the
egg and put it back exactly as I found it covering it careful-
ly with soil. The egg was less than an inch below the sur-
face of the ground. I had John put a wire screen around the
spot. This screen was, when arranged, 13 inches high and 16
inches in diameter. It was sunk into the ground all around