, 1874-09-13

ApPREC1Ar1yE BEARS.
an egg-hunter usually walks the beach before
tinds the nests by the trails leading from tue
water. The deposit is always found on tha curve
of the trail above bigh nater-mark. Ths packed
rand indicates it's locality. Many turtles, how
ever. mako what are called false nesta- They
take great pains to leave clear trail, and pack
the ground on the curve without cropping an
egg. After thus endeayoring to mislead the en-
e1nies Of their young, they slip off to some quiet
spot and lay. This ruse deceiyes men, but
never bears Bruln has keen nose, and is al
ways up to snuff. he never wastes his time on
g f1lse nest, and never fails to atop at a good
one. When that ia found he makes the sand
fly As he gradually scoops it out, his head dis
appears and his hindquarters stand up against
the sky. As such times his joy oyercomea his
fears. All cautiousness is thrown aside, and he
relapses into the enj0ymeDt OF his delcocy. a
daring man might walk up and pinch his hind
leg without fear OF discovery. More bearB are
killed while nosipg the nests of turtles than at
any other time. Nothing but 4 rine-ball will
keep bear from turtle-hole.
While at Lake Worth I beard a story Of two
eeg~hunterB who went out on the beach just
after the sun had set. One Of them found 4 nest
and was just about to rifle it. when Lis compan-
ion said, "Let US go on aud ind another ono
before dark. We can dig this up on the way
back" The ogg-hunter replied that he Was
afraid some bear might get ahead Of him. ''Oh,
throw your coat on the nest, aud no bear will
dare to touch It," said his comrade. The coat
WAS thrown down. They found another neat
three-quarters OF milo down tho beach. Its
eggs wera secured and they were their way
home when they saw huge bear come out OF
the palmetto scrub and walk along the shore,
smiling for eggs. Tho men we're unarmed. The
bear raised his mead and saw the coat. In 1lfy
the garment was torn into rags, and the sand was
flying from the nest, The egS,-huntera heard the
srnacking OF bruins chops with eorr1Wtul face.
1rf1p mi a 4 turf1A'H
nest.
HOW DOCTOR FATrESs HIS MULES.
Millions Of eggs are destroyed every year.
Coons and opossuns train IN the wake OF the
bear, and scour tho beach. OposHums have been
caught 30 s1uffod with eggs that they could
beach, his hogs falten themselves upon the
nests: Mankind comes in for the smallest
share, DR.. Wallace gathered 5000 eggs last year
before tile season Was half over. Of COURSE he
had more than his family could cat. The eggs
threatened to spoil on bis hands, One night mis-
mules we're without corn. He dumped peck Of
turtle-egga in their manger. The bcasts seemed
to like them better than grain After that the
Doctor fed them eggs once day throughout the
summer, aud the animals became as tat as but
ter. Soon afterward his dog developed d taste
for them, and, between the dog. mules, aud fam
ily tho Doctor bud his hands full to keep up the
supply.
Tho eggs can be kept from five to six weeks.
They used for cooking PURPOSES. and are
said to bo moro nutritious than hens eggs. For
pea custards, and similar delicacies. they are
oil that can be desired Fried, boiled, scrambled
OF knocked into AL omeiet, they ara savory and
palatable. mo effort has ever been made to
ship them north, where they would undoubtedly
be appreciated.
MOONLIGHT scESKs Ok TIRE REACH.
Hundreds Of turtles caught on the beach
by moonlight They canifot walk quite SO fast
as man. It requires peculiar skill to handle
then. They are seized By the smell above the
hind fipper, and turned on their backs as quick
There ia knack about it that is not easily &C
quired- An expert has quick eye and
a quick motion. He is as supple as
hickory sapling. IT the turtle il large, he
throws himself over with it, thus turning COM
plcte somersault. If the monster is not thrown
in the twinkling Of eye it raised itself to its
legs and shoves for the water leaving its puE-
suar fat on the and. ,beachcomber weighing
more than 100 pounds can pitch over
3o0-pounder apparently with the greatest
case. Strangers are advised not to e1per-.
iment with the loggerlcads. aa they are wicked
when annoyed, and are apt to bite. 4 story is
told OF fat man who endeavored to lift large
green fellow into his boat. The turtle seized
him by tho slack OF the stomach, and the man
set up roar that startled ali the bears IN the Vi
cnity. Fortunately his paDtaloons were tough,
and he escaped without serious damage.
Last year Bartolo c. Pacettl saw loGgerhead
near Mosquito Iulet weighing moro than 500
pounds. Tho turtle was filling nest, and was
Of such size that it IVES useless to think OF
turning it by main strength In this diemma
Paco4ti scooped 3 great hole in the sand at the
sldo OF the nest. As the monster rose and
started for tho sea he exerted all bis strength
aud tumbled it into the hole. It 6truck upon its
back, and set its dippers in motion Pacetti
aays that for five minutes be thought the eky was
filled with ashes. The saud hew in all dircc-
tions, and the turtle would haVo covered resl-
meut if it had had the opportunity.
ROW a PHILADELPHIA DOCTOR CATCHES THEM
Once on its back turtle ia helpless. It will
throw sand faster than fanning-mill can spout
chaff. but it is securely anchored, and will lay
there until it dies, il not removed Deachconers
turn their turtles BY moonlight, and secure them
in the morning.
Some OF the inhabitants take their turtles in
the heat Of the day with cast-net: I spent
ono day hunting them with DR.. William Witt
field. formerly Of PLiIadelphi.. The Doctor
walked along the surf at low tide. carefully
watchng the sunken coral rocks The turtles
would rise between the rocks and blow like por-
poises. Ia III instant the catch-net was IN the
air. As it sprend on the waters and rank tie
turtle was mcshed, and tle Doctor rushed into
tic sea- caught it By the Hppe.B and dragged 1t
out. These turtles were small green ones
Their NEST WIS tender and juicy. and the Doc
tor preferred them 10 those caught III the rivers
They feed upon tho delicate sea~eed growing
During the summer, Col. Titus, OF Kansas and
Nicaragua fame, visits the beach below Caro-
Canayeral and spends six weeks in turtlinS. He
has tents and servants, and camps out Like an
old veteran. AS he III entirely crippled BY bull
lets and rheumatism, he can do but little besides
overseeing the job. I hear that he is one OF the
most successful tutt1ers on the Indian Kiyer.
With all it's enemies on land. the turtle has
ferocious assaiant in the water Enormous
sharks, cruel aud voracious. frequent the coast
aud inlets OF Florida. They attack the largest
turtles, biting of their heads and djppers With
out ceremony. During tho latter part OF April
I caught an old loggerh"ad near New Smyrna.
It had been stranded at high lido in the sue Of
= saud-bar, and was not able to got out. 4
shark had btteu off one of it fore-nippels- It
weighed about ITO pounds.
Tho Indian Troubles in Denton
County, Tex.
From tl< Dallas {1tr.} Commercial, Sept. s.
A few days ago we gavo tile particulars OF
horrible massacre i'll Denton County, where
three women wero murdered and scapea by the
rcd devils, and their bodies mangled in h fearful
From tho Denton Rerie.o We get tho
following additional particulars:
After killing and scalpins the mother and