6 
NATURE STUDY. 
whose board he shared if not their bed. At last he repeated 
the old fable in revised form by climbing up the poultry netting 
that served as a fence and escaping while his long legged com¬ 
panions stayed behind. 
Cistudo Carolina or box turtle inhabits only the southern 
portion of the state, I think. I have never known of its being 
found north of Pelham. This tortoise is nearly hemispherical 
in shape. The carapace is brown with irregular yellow mark¬ 
ings scattered about. Its greatest peculiarity is in the hingeing 
of the two shells. They are connected by a tough skin which 
allows some movement. The plastron is hinged just in front 
of its union with the carapace so that it can be closed at both 
ends, shutting up like a double clam shell. Upon the ap¬ 
proach of danger the head and legs as well as the tail, which is 
▼ery small, are drawn in and the plastron shuts up like a minia¬ 
ture portcullis when the timid little baron is safe within his cas¬ 
tle from any enemy that cannot batter in the walls. The food 
of the box turtle is said to be vegetable. A specimen that I 
once had for two months refused to eat anything. I finally de¬ 
prived him of what appetite he may have possessed and his 
head and placed the shell in the museum of the Manchester 
Institute. 
The unusual mortality among insectivorous birds has attract¬ 
ed attention in Manchester and adjoining towns. Nine dead 
birds were brought in by the pupils of a single Manchester 
school in one day; several were brought to the Institute rooms 
on the succeeding evening, and many were reported. From 
the 21st to the 23d of May, examination of about 20 specimens 
showed empty stomachs in each case. The conclusion appears 
to be logical that the cold weather has retarded the hatching of 
insect eggs, and that the birds have starved in consequence. 
Communications are desired from our subscribers everywhere. 
Observe carefully ; take notes fully ; then write the story as 
briefly as possible and send it to Nature Study. 
