Individuals of _T. ornata_ that were placed in water swam moderately well but were clumsy in comparison to individuals of more aquatic emyids such as _Pseudemys_ and _Chrysemys_. Box turtles were never observed to swim voluntarily, although they were frequently found in shallow water. On several occasions I confronted individuals at the edge of a pond so that the only unblocked route for their escape was through deeper water; nearly always these individuals attempted to crawl past me, to crawl away in shallow water parallel to the shore, or to hide in soft mud at the edge of the water. Box turtles floated high in the water with the dorsal side upward and had little difficulty in righting themselves when turned over. The head and neck are extended and submerged when the turtle is swimming; forward progress is interrupted every few moments to elevate the head, presumably for purposes of breathing and orientation. The shell is never submerged. The swimming of _T. ornata_ is in general like that of _Pseudemys_ or _Chrysemys_ that have become dehydrated after long periods out of water and cannot submerge. These more aquatic turtles, however, quickly overcome their bouyancy, whereas examples of _T. ornata_, even if left in water for several days, are unable to submerge. Clarke (1950) saw an ornate box turtle swim a 60-foot-wide stream in Osage County, Kansas; his description of swimming agrees with that given above. The meager swimming ability of _T. ornata_ is of apparent survival value under unusual conditions and enables _T. ornata_ to traverse bodies of water that would act as geographic barriers to completely terrestrial reptiles; however, swimming is a mode of locomotion seldom used under ordinary circumstances. Gehlbach (1956:366) and Norris and Zweifel (1950:2) observed individuals of _T. o. luteola_ swimming in temporary rain pools and small ponds in New Mexico; the two authors last named saw an individual quickly enter a pond and dive beneath the water after being startled on the bank. Several of my colleagues, in conversation, have also reported seeing _T. o. luteola_ in small bodies of water in the southwestern United States. Daily Cycle of Activity