CONCORD 
Turtles 
• V' 
Nest of 
the Brown 
Thrasher~ 
During the entire spring and summer thus far I 
have seen in all not more than five or six of the small, 
mossy-backed Snapping Turtles in the river and but one of 
these actually out of water (in April, I think it was). 
The Painted Tortoise, since its first appearance, has been 
very numerous and on every sunny morning more or less of 
the latter could be seen on floating boards or the low 
branches of trees or bushes which overhang the water. The 
number of individuals who have thus exposed themselves for 
the sake of a sun bath has diminished steadily, however, 
since the hot summer weather began. This morning I saw not 
a single Painted Tortoise out of water but every suitable 
floating log or overhanging branch bore from one to half a 
dozen of the mossy-backed Snappers and 200 would be a low 
estimate of the total number that I passed on my way to 
Ball's Hill. When I returned late in the afternoon every 
one had disappeared but there were, as usual, a few Painted 
Tortoises in three places which the Snappers had occupied 
in the morning. 
I visited the Brown Thrasher's nest at 3 P. M. 
and found the female sitting or rather standing over the 
young, her feet spread wide apart, clutching opposite sides 
of the nest. She seemed to be merely shielding the young 
from the sun. The young have increased in size markedly 
since my last visit and are now feathered over their entire 
IS 
