[Illustration: FIG. 10. Correlation between size of female and number of eggs in clutch; females in their first breeding season, mostly less than 72 mm. in snout-vent length, produce smaller clutches, on the average, than do larger and older females, but there is extensive overlap.] To sum up the available information on clutch size, the number of eggs is most typically 9, 10, or 11 and is more in large old females, than in small, newly matured females. In natural nests, even in those that are successful, there is often some loss of eggs, which are eaten by predators, or by the female herself, with the result that the egg counts made by various observers average somewhat lower than the numbers actually produced. The loss during incubation cannot be measured readily since it is almost certainly sharply increased by the disturbance entailed in observing nests. Exposing nests, even momentarily, for observation, may result in compacting of the surrounding soil, desiccation, temporary or permanent desertion by the female, and exposure to predation. Some indication of the incidence of loss during incubation might be obtained by counting and measuring the eggs in newly found nests and correlating numbers with size (indicating the length of time incubated). Table 7.--Numbers of Eggs Per Clutch, Time of Occurrence, Laying Dates and Hatching Dates, as Reported in the Literature by Various Authors. ==========+==============+===============+=========+=============+==========+============= | Numbers | | | | | AUTHOR | of eggs | Date recorded | Natural | Laying date | Hatching | Locality | per clutch | | nest | | date | ----------+--------------+---------------+---------+-------------+----------+------------- Allard | 7* | .... | Yes | .... | .... | Northern | | | | | | Georgia | | | | | | Bishop | 8* | .... | Yes | .... | .... | Breathitt | | | | | | Co., | | | | | | Kentucky | | | | | | Blanchard | 9* | .... | .... | .... | .... | Tennessee | | | | | | Burt | 6; 11 | May, and | Yes | June 12, | .... | Douglas | | June 18, 1926 | | 1926 | | Co., | | | | | | Kansas