The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-09-09

! generally come upon the beach at night.
Their course upon the sand is marked by the
trailing of their tails and flippers. The trail
from the water to point above high tide is
as straight as line. Approaching chosen
spot, the turtle makes gentle swerve to the
north, and sounds the sand with her fippers.
Satisfied of the desirableness of the situation,
she begins to dig hole. To do this her hind
flippers alone are used. Her work is remarka.
BILE, if not artistic. The hole is shaped like
the inside of large Jug Its neck is small,
but its interior is circular, and from fifteen to
wenty or more inches i n diameter. The sides
the f1ippers No workman in a pottery could
turn out job more true.
! Frequently the turtle is dissatisfied with
her labor Probably she finds the ground
undermined by the brght-eyed sand crabs
that dance along the shore. In that case she
makes curve to the east and marches directly
to the water emerging at some other point
and going through the same performance.
Sometimes she digs four or five holes before
she begins to deposit her eggs.
/ Her nest finished the female turtle settles
down to her work. Up to this time she in
variably takes to the water at the approach
of a stranger. After she begins to lay, the
presence of an army would not frighten her.
A man could stand upon her back and she
would keep her position until the last egg was
dropped. DIR. Frank Fox, well-known
hunter of New Smyrna, tells me that he once
saw bear take his stand behind a turtle ON
the nest. Bruin caught the eggs in alternate
paws as they fell, and devoured them with
smack of the chops that could be heard at
distance of one hundred yards. Bears Lave
been known to watch turtles for hours, and
then tear them to pieces because they showed
no disposition to lay.
The eggs are deposited at depth of from
fifteen to eighteen inches. They are not oval,
but round, and nearly the size of hens egg.
The shell is flexible, and white as snow. 1t is
as elastic as rubber. Dent an egg with your
thumb and the indentation will last for hours.
Egg hunters always carry bag, in which
they drop the eggs A bag of eggs can be
thrown across horse, the horse ridden at full
gallop, and not an egg be broken.
In filling their nests the females display
marvellous skill. The eggs are deposited in
layers and so arranged that there is not an
inch of room to spare. No human hand
could show such a knowledge of packing.
Beachcombers are frequently astonished at the
number of eggs taken from small nest. They
say they have repeatedly tried to replace them
as they found them, but in no case have they
succeeded in getting more than two thirds of
them back in the hole. From seventy-fve to
one hundred and fifty eggs are found in each
nest, The general average is one hundred
and thirty DIR. Fox says that he has un-
earthed one hundred and seventy. Last year,
however, Dr. Wallace, of Turtle Mound, dis
ten eggs This is probably the largest nest
ever found on the Florida coast
When the female has filled her nest she
covers the whole with moistened sand, and
packs it down with her fippers. No garden
roller could make it more solid. The spot is
then sprinkled with loose sand, and the old
turtle returns to the sea. The eggs hatch
within thirty-five days. The Summer sun is
very warm, and the sand becomes SO hot that
it blisters the feet. When the young ones
break the she'll they swarm to the surface and
take a bee line to the water Instinct points
out the direct route. Men have driven shin
giles around q turtles nest and awaited the
Matching of the eggs. Though out of sight of
the water, the little ones would crowd the side
of the Enclosure nearest the ocean, and die
there unless released. When dropped behind
q sand bank they turn to the east and travel
in that direction with the confident eagerness
of Masonic neophite. When Matched, they
are little larger than silver half dollar.
An egg hunter usually walks the beach be-
fore sunrise aud after sunset. If the tide is
low, he finds the nests by the trails leading
from the water. The deposit is always found
on the curve of the trail above high water
mark, The packed sand indicates its locality.
Many turtles, however, make what are called
false nests. They take great pains to leave a
clear trail, and pack the ground on the curve
without dropping an egg. After thus endea-
voring to mislead the enemies of their young,
they slip off to some quiet spot and lay. This
ruse deceives men, but never bears, Bruin
itsto d hcct hooS, tiiu ~ 10 aiWaJo up W cftuIs
He never wastes his time on a false nest, and
never fails to stop at a good one. When that
is found he makes the sand fly. AS he
gradually scoops it out, his head disappears
and his hind quarters stand up against the
sky. AT such times his joy overcomes his
fears. All cautiousness is thrown aside, and
he relapses into the enjoyment of his delicacy.
A daring man might walk up and pinch his
hind Jeg without fear of discovery. More
bears are killed while nosing the nests Of
turtles than at any other time. Nothing but
rifle ball will keep bear from a turtle hole.
While at Lake Worth | heard story of
two egg hunters who went out on the beach
just after the sun had set. One of them dis
covered nest and was about to rifle it, when
his companion said, Let us go and find
another one before dark we can dig this up
on the way back" The egg hunter replied
that he was afraid some bear might get ahead
of him. sob, throw your coat on the nest
and no bear will dare to touch it," said his
comrade. The coat was thrown down. They
found second nest three quarters of a mile
i AL fro md