The Monticellonian., 1915-07-01

\ NdlIey where l live only
 two species of chelonia M are found-the painted
 @~-uA4 turtle (Chrysemys picta) InbsGo oMd popularly known as the ESSSHAl mud turtle," and the IFTI snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina). Both are en-
 tirely aquatic in their habits and rarely leave the water ex- cept to lay their eggs The painted turtle is the more abundant and, from It's custom of crawling out on logs and rocks to sun itself is much oftener seen. and consequently better known than the snapper" which, though it exists in far larger numbers than is generally suspected, evidently finds coneealment best suited to it's preda- clous mode of life. In it's business it does not pay to advertise.
 The snapping turtle has a very ex- tenslVe range, being found over the whole of the United States east of the Rockies, and as far south as Ecuador. While to the north 1t extends probably to 50 degrees north latitude. It grows much larger than it's painted" brother. specimens with a carapace length of two feet being sometimes taken. Be- sldes It's strong, thick tail it's chief characteristic is it's long neck, which It can dart out with astonishing rapid- lty to seize it's prey or attack an ene- my, ana rom this 1t gains it's popular name. It's powerful jaws, though toothless, are bony and sharp. and are capable of infiicting a serious wound on the careless captor The earapaee or the adult animal is composed of smooth, well defined. greenish brown plates. The plastron and under parts Of the animal are yellowish. Very old individuals evidently lead sedentary lives, and thus avoid the proyerbial opprobrium of the rolling stone," for thelr shells are often thickly coated with moss.
 On land they can walk briskly enough on their long legs, but the water Is their real element, and they swim easily and we'll. although. of course, their lines are not designed for speed, and they can remain sub merged for long periods.
 As the snapper is we'll able. and always more than willing. to take strong offensiye-eyer the best means Of defense-ft does not stand in need of a capacious shell, like many of it's milder-mannered relatives. into which to retire out of harms way. Conse- quently it's carapace scarcely covers it's retracted head and folded tail while it's cruciform plastron is narrow and small, and leaves the under parts practically undefended The animal generally has very unpleasant, musty smell, and always exhibits most savage temper. It's favorite habi- tat is small, sluggish streams and swamps. where 1t lies concealed in the mud and weeds, darting out it's long neck to seize it's food It is purely carnivorous in it's diet. and destroys large numbers of fish and, when it can get them, young waterfowl. On this account We must class 1t as a decided ly injurious animal. although in some places it Is regularly used for food, and is said to be often seen on sale in the markets of the southern United States
 About the middle of June the fe- males leave the water at night to de- posit their eggs. They crawl out on some sandy beach and scrape shallow, saucer-shaped depressions in the loose, dry surface sand in order to reach the firmer layer of damp sand beneath On the beach l examined, these de- pressions were about six inches deep by fourteen or fifteen inches In di- ameter. The turtles seem to be rather fastidious in their choice of a site, for they always make number of these hollows before finally tunneling into the damp sand. The tunnel, which is the actual egg receptacle, is an oval section about three inches by four inches, and slopes at an angle of 20 or 30 degrees into the damp sand to a depth of four or five inches. The eggs, which just about fill this tunnel, are all deposited at the same time, and the sand scraped over them again and roughly heaped up. When the nest" is completed the bottom of the tunnel is about ten inches from the surface. The eggs of nearly all the other chelonia are oval in outline, but --~os~~~~~o~~~~~o~-~~~~ ~~~~~~~-~--~~~~o-~~~~