, 1891-02-12
CATCHING TURTLES.
THEY VISIT The FLORIDA COAST
AND BECOME CAPTWEs.

Something About the Five Varieties
Pound Observation-Disclosures OF Their
Food-NIosl of Thrm Are Caught for the
New York AIarksts-KsDt In "CruwIs."
There are five species Of turtle that in
habit the warm waters adjacent to the
coast OF Florida. OF these the green turtle
is the most highly priced for the superior
quality Of its meat. This is Of n straight
grain and tender. light in color, and OF a
peculiarly delicious favor. In the Key
West markets II brings a higher price Than
any other turtle meat. The green turtle
derives its name from its color. Its head
Is remarkably small, and. unlike any other
turtle. its jaws are OF a size and shape that
permit the upper one to fit into the lower.
The shell Of the green turtle is about the
thickness Of stiG paper and is OF no value.
The general average weight Is from 400
TO 500 pounds. Sometimes on the fishing
grounds OF Cedar Keys monsters Of Loo
pounds weight are caught. The largest
ever landed at Cedar Keys weighed LOO
pounds. The green turtle inhabiJs grassy
bottoms aud subslsts entirely on turtle
grass. It is Obliged TO come to the surface
every hour to breathe or blow.
The hawk's-bill turtle derives its name
from the shape Of its bill, which resembles
that Of a hawk THIS variety gives 70 The
NoAAA NhN AtAN IL 'NAN VI W AANl AIE ulaAF
the beautiful tortoise shell combs and
other ornaments so dear TO the feminine
heart. The shell, which brings from e. to
% per pound, according 70 its quality and
the demand for il, completely covers the
turtles back, aud j. invariably arranged
in thirteen rows, This remarkable uni
formity in the number o. rows regardless
OF the turtles age Is observed in all the
varieties OF the reptile,
nj Ln-NrHH Inn
OF other species, rarely exceeding 80
pounds ia weight. Its meat Is palatable
and wholesome, but Of a darker color than
that Of the other varieties. IL Is usually
found on rocky bottoms and subsists on
sponge and grass. The hawk's-bll re-
mains under water longer than any other
turtle; IL comes to the surface to blow
only once in six hours, either the last Of
the flood or the beginning OF the bib
vAEGoUs KINDS or TURTLES.
The loggerhead ranks next 10 the hawks
bill in point Of value. It attains about the
same size, although specimens weighing
800 pounds have been caught. It's meat Is
OF about the same quality, but its s1ell
drops In value to twelve or fifteen cents a
pound The shell is used for making cheap
combs and buttons. This species Of turtle
inhabits rocky bottoms and subsists on
sponge, grass and conch shells. It's jaws
and teeth are Of such remarkable strength
that IL is Enabled to and does indulge ia the
delightful d~elicacy OF the hardest and
strongest conch shells. The loggerhead is
frequently seen on the surface Of the wa.
ter. when it comes up to blow, which it
does every half hour, holding in its jaws a
conch weighing five or six pounds.
The bastard turtle is the offspring Of the
green and loggerhead turtles. It is the
smallest Of all, rarely attaining a weight OF
over 100 or 80 pounds. Thu flesh is edible,
but not so highly priced for food rs the
other varieties already mentioned. The
trunkback turtle is the largest OF all. fire.
quently reaching n weight of t,5OO pounds
Turtles are simply summer visitors, mi
grating to.our shores about the early part
of May and leaving them for deeper water
and warmer climes about the latter part Of
December. a few "rramps," rs they are
termed, are, however, occasionally caught
during the winter months Turtles have
sometimes been encountered hundreds Of
miles from land. travelling In schools OF
several thousand.
There are four methods employed on the
American coast for the capture of turtles.
In the waters OF North Carolina they are
caught by diving in the following manner.
The turtle fisherman ties the painter Of
his boat to his leg and rows leisurely
along until one is seen. He approaches it
and dives upon IL from the boat, and. seiz-
ing the anterior edge Of the carapace with
one hand and the postcrior edge with the
other, re turns the read OF the turtle up
ward, when the reptile Immediately rises
to the surface. bringing the fisherman with
1t. II the water is deep, the fisherman
keeping Hold df II Wiz. IG1Is sPoS,
the other pulling the boat after him.
When a suitable place is reached he HOSTS
the turtle into the BOAT.
METHODS OF CAPTURE.
Another method is to strike the turtle
with a spear, or gauge" having a long
line attached, but this method has been
very generally abandoned. as it often in
jures the turtle to such an extent rs to de
crease its market value.
In the breeding season the female turtle
crRwls upon the beach, selects a warm.
sandy spot. digs n hole with her hippers,
and deposits her eggs to be Matched by the
warmth Of the sun. Sometimes before
reaching the water she is caught, turned
over on her back, thus rendering her com
pletely helpless. and dispatched at leisure.
IL is no unusual thing for a turtle to lay as
many as rs eggs, although from co to 100
eggs is a more usual LAY"
The method usually adopted Cor catching
turtles is by the gill net" The size Of
mesh employed is about II inches. The
nets are from 90 to 100 fathoms long. and
extend from the surface OF the water to the
bottom. a turtle while swimming around
in the water comes in contact with n net
and thrusts its head through one of the
meshes. Not noticing the obstruction, it
attempts to continue its course, and in a
short time one ripper and then the other
are e%ntangled, and the reptile is unable to
extricate itself. II the fisherman is near his
net he knows by the movement OF the
corks on the surface that the turtle is
caught, and he hastens to row mp and Sc
cure it.
Turtles are ke t ~alivein n pen or crawl"
and fed on fish and turtle grass until
ready for shipment by steamer to New
York. The ''crawl' is an Enclosure about
80 feet long by % feet wide, surrounded by
piles driven closely together and covered
above with boards. 1t is usually con
structed near the shore in water > or @ feet
deep. n crane or derrick is used for hoist
ing the turtles.-Cor New York Times.
What "a /" Means.
The expression "a l." popularity used to