Many of the nests that I found were in close proximity to others. Often two nests, and sometimes even three, were found beneath the same rock, and sometimes a distance of only two or three inches intervened between the separate clutches. It seemed, however, that in almost every instance each female had excavated a separate nest chamber originally. In some instances adjacent nest chambers communicated with each other.
On July 13, 1948, a communal nest was discovered beneath loose bark of a decaying elm log. There were 22 eggs in the combined clutch, and there were two females in the vicinity. The bark was raised on several different days to examine the eggs, and one or both females always were found with the eggs.
On June 10, 1949, at the pond rock pile, a flat rock was turned and an unusual nesting aggregation consisting of a minimum of eight females, and probably more than ten, was found. The nests were somewhat disturbed by movement of the rock. The ground beneath was honeycombed with tunnels connecting the flask-shaped nest cavities, which were in part open to the rock surface on their upper sides. Clutches of eggs numbered 13, 12, 11, 8, and 6 (the last attended by a female which appeared to be still distended with several more unlaid eggs). Of five other females taken, two had laid and three were still gravid. Of the five clutches, two had eggs noticeably larger than those in the other three, and with their shells mottled brown from adhering earth. These nest cavities were about half an inch deep and two to three inches wide. The females were released as soon as they had been examined. One female moved about over the nest areas exposed, and evinced interest in a lone egg which had become separated from the others. She moved up to it, standing high off the ground, with her head turned at right angles to her body as if preparing to push the egg forward in the angle thus formed, and tested it with her tongue, but then she became alarmed and left the vicinity. The flat rock was lowered over the nests again with a minimum of disturbance.
On July 9, 1949, the flat rock covering the nests was raised again. Most of the eggs had hatched. Two broods of hatchlings were still in their respective nest cavities, and one entire clutch had not begun to hatch although its incubation was nearly completed. Three eggs of Scincella laterale were found mixed with the Eumeces eggs. One of these was opened to verify their identity; the other two hatched a few days later in the laboratory.
The following selected excerpts from my field notes, setting forth histories of several nests, so far as they were known, give some idea of the types of nesting sites chosen, the behavior of the females, and the hazards to which the eggs are exposed.
No. 1. At corner of pond rock pile.
June 21, 1951. Female escaped when rock was turned. One egg measured 12.5 × 8 mm., mud-stained.
June 22, 1951. Nest not in evidence when rock was turned; digging into loose soil beneath to a depth of about an inch I exposed the eggs but did not disturb them further.
July 23, 1951. When rock was turned, female did not attempt to escape, but withdrew to far corner of nest cavity; when caught she voided a large scat which seemed to consist mainly of Ceuthophilus remains. Largest eggs in the clutch were 18 × 10 mm. but two were noticeably smaller, and all were heavily coated with dried mud.
July 30, 1951. Six young in the nest cavity, still not fully active; all of them were heavily coated with dried mud.