The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-03-14
Value Of Reptiles.

The class of reptiles is generally re-
garded as useless, if not noxious to
mankind; yet, in reality, it affords
many and varied products which serve
as human food, or as important SUBJ
stances in the arts and manufactures.
The first of the reptiles to be men
toned in this light are the Chelonians,
including the turtles and tortoises,
whose flesh is everywhere esteemed as
an article of diet, and whose eggs are
sought both for eating and for the oil
that they afford. Edible species of the
tortoise and the turtle abound in Amefi-
ca, and are largely consumed at home
and exported to foreign countries. A
mandatory at Key West annually
puts up 100000 pounds of turtle-meat
for expectation, and employs ten YES
sells and sixty men in collecting the rep
tiles. Large establishments for can
ming the meat, and preparing for mar
ket the fat, calipee and gelatinous por
ton of the fins of the turtle, exist in
Jamaica. In 1874 the export from
Jamaica of these products amounted to
8, 484 pounds. The turtles consumed
at this point are brought from the
shores of the Gulf of Mexico, from Trim
idad, Vera Cruz, Honduras and the
Tortugas.
The turtle is an important article of
subsistence to the inhabitants in the
vicinity of the Amazohs; and Mr.. Bates,
In his interesting notes of ga Natural
ist on the Athazohs,'' devotes a good
deal of space to an account of the meth
DDS employed in capturing the animal
and its eggs. The great fresh-water
turtle attains an immense size, and its
flesh is tender and palatable. The rep
tiles are habitually kept by the Indians
in little ponds, as a resource in seasons
of dearth. = The breeding-place of the
turtle afford a busy spectacle at the
time when it comes up out of the water
to lay its eggs in the sand. The ma
tives assemble from far and near, and
encamp near the ground for the sake
Of convenience in harvesting the eggs
and preparing the oil.
The destruction of turtle-eggs every
year is, according to Mr. Bates, enor-
nous. AT least 5000 jars, holding
each three gallons of the oil, are ex-
ported annually from the Upper Anna
IONS and the Madeira to Para, where
it is used for lighting, frying fish and
other purposes. 1t may be fairly esti-
mated that 1000 more jarfuls are con-
sumed by the inhabitants of the vii
lagos on the river. Now, it takes at
least twelve baskets of eggs, or about
5000, by the wasteful process followed,
to make one jar of oil. The total num-
Der ef eggs annually destroyed amounts,
therefore, to $4,000, 900. As each tur-
tie lays about 12O, it follows that the
yearly offspring Of 100000 turtles is
thus annihilated.'
TOrtOise-shell is another valuable
product derived from the Chelonians.
The finest variety is produced by the
hawk s-bill turtle. Twenty-Five tons of
this material are annually worked up
in Great Britain.
The flesh and the eggs Of the alligator
and the crocodile are eaten by the ma
tives in many parts of the world;
whilad f ihhf5 IsaiHsr Tor boots and shoes,
horse-trappings, ETC.; their teeth are
carved into ornamental objects; the
oil extracted from the fat is of consider
ablo value in the arts; and musk used
in perfumery is obtained from certain
species.
The flesh of the iguana is highly es-
teemed in South America, and is cooked
in various ways. The eggs, which are
very glutin0us. are also regarded as
q delicacy. Humboldt states that in
intertropical South America, all lizards
which inhabit dry places are much
priced for the table.
The most highly civilized races re-
gard the headquarters of the frog as
an elegant dainty, but snakes are by
universal consent considered unfit for
food. Still the flesh of all land-ser-
pents Is said to be- white, tender and |
wellsnsvored; while An excellent leath- |
or il manufactured from the skins of the |
anaconda and other large species
Chicago Tribune.