The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1892-12-31
CATCHING TURTLES
THEY VISIT THE FLORIDA COAST
AND BECOME cApTivea

sssess'ss About the Rive vsrsst,e,
ses"a Observation-Disclosures q rhss,
Seed-Aost Of rhsas Are Caught ssv ~
New York Markets-Kspt IL "cr.v ~. /.
There are i've species Of turtle that in.
eaoit the warm waters xdfscept 10 TN
eoAst OF Florida. Of these the green turtie
u the most highly priced for the superior
quality Of Its meat This Is of n straioht
grain and tender, light 10 color. and Of !
peculiarly delicious favor. In the Kew
west msrksts II brings higher price thar
any other turtle meat. The green turtIs
derives its name from its color. Its head
u remarkably small, and, unlike any other
turtle. It's jaws are OF size and shane that
permit the upper one 10 III in,o the lower.
Inc shell OF the green turtle il about thu
thickness Of sti6 paper and IL Of NO yniue
The general average weight Is from <Oo
10 10 pounds. Sometimes Oil the fish,ao
grounds on Cedar Keys mon sters OF |. O0l
pounds weight are caught. The largest
ever landed at Cedar Keys weighed i .oO
pounds. The green turtle inAsbits xrasy
bottoms aud subsists entirely on turtis
grass II h Obliged 70 come 10 the surfscs
every hour 70 breathe or blow"
The hawk's-biil turtle derives its mama
from the shape Of its bill, which resembIe.
that OF hawk This variety gives 10 the
world the material out OF Which are ms.is
the BEAUTIFUL tortoise shell comb, and
other ornaments 80 dear To the feminias
heart The shell. which BRING from q To
- per pound. according TO its quality and
the demand for IL. completely covers the
turtles back, and is invariably arranged
IN thirteen rows This remarkable uni.
Sormits IN the number Of rows regardless
Of the turtles age Ii observed In ali the
varieties Of the reptile
The bawk's-biil does not attain the sixs
OF other species. rarely exceeding so
pounds In weight. itA meat Is palatable
and wholesome. but Of darker color than
that OF the other varieties II il usually
found on rocky bottoms and sul,sists on
si,onge and grass The hawks bill re.
nisins under water longer than any other
turtle. IL oofnes TO the surface TO blow
oniy once In sin hours, either the last ol
The aood or the beginning Of the ebh
VARIOUS KINDS or TuErLEs
The ioagrrh-ad rank. nrxi 10 the hawks.
oaii Ia poih, OF value. II attains si,oat the
same slz-. although specimens weighing
500 pounds have is,en caught. iis meat IL
Of about the same quality, but its shell
drop. ln value totweiye or fifteen cent? q
pound The she'll lie used for max ing G heap
eonis and buttons. This s,s,ci-s OF turtle
inhabsts rocAy bottoms and subsisls on
siong~. grass and eoncb shells Its Jaws
and teeth are OF such rcmASk sble strength
that II h enabled 10 aud doe. indulge ia the
delightful deiicaey Of the hardes, and
strongest oonch she'll. The ioggerhead is
fr~qn~ntiy ss~n on the surface Of the wA.
TER. when II comes up TO blow. which 1,
does every half hour. holding ia its jaws 4
coneh weighing i've or ak pounds
The bs.iAni turtle Is the offspring Of the
green aud i''ggerb-ad turtles Il Ii the
stnsiis-si OF all. rarely attaining a weight oi
over 100 or 10 pounds. The nesh is edible,
bat TAO, 30 highly prix~i for food ~ the
other varieties already mentioned. The
truBAbaek taE,ie Ia the largest OF all, fr~-
asently reaching a weight Of 200 poundS
Turtles aFr simpl, summer visitors, mi.
grating To our shores about the early part
Of May aud .~asing them for de~,-r water
AID warmer Chimes about the latter part vi
Decemi<r 4 few "trAm,.s." ~ they arr
termed. are. however. occasionally caught
durias the winter months Turtles have
-otnrtitn~s t<~n encountered hundreds oi
several thousand
Tberr arr four methods employed ON the
American ooas, Tor Tia. capture Of turtles
Ia the ~aieFs Of North Carolina they ars
caught hy diving ia the following manner
The turtle fisherman ties The painter oil
his hoA, TO his leg aud rows lelsurely
along until one is scrn. lie approaches Il
aud dive upon 1t from the boat. and, seiI
INK the anterior cisc Of the carspaoe " i,h
one hand and tho pos,erior edge with the
other. 80 turns the head Of the turtle up
ward. when the reptile Immediately risr1
10 the surface. brinsin. the fisherman with
H. II the water IL deep. the fsbcrmat
steer. the turtle toward a shoaier spot
kcepius bold Of Il with one hand and with
the other pulling the boat after him
When n suitable place IL reached he hois,l
the turtle into the boat
METHODS or CAPTURE
Another method l. to strike the turtls
With q sIear, or gauge" having q Ions
line attached. but this method has isser
very GENERALLY abandoned. As IL often In
jurcs tho turtle To such an extent az 10 de
GREASE it, marke, value.
In the breeding season the female turtle
crawls upon the hrach. selects a warm
.apdy spot. digs a hole with her ilippcrS
aud deposits her eggs to I've Matched 10y III,
warmth 81 the sun Sometimes brfors
reaching the water shc IL caught, turncs
over On her back. thus rendering her coin
plctei, helpless, and dispatched at icisurs
Il is no unusual thing Tor turtle to lay ~
many a. i2a eggs, although from % to 10
egxs il a norr usual lay"
The method usually adopted for CATCHING
turtles 10 10y the gill net" The sine o
mesh employed IL about II inches. TIL,
net. Hrc from 20 to 100 fa,homs long, an,
extend from the surface of the water to tn,
bottom A turtle while swimming aroun,
In the water comes in contact with me-
and thrusts its head through one Of th,
mcshcs Not noticing the obstruction, 4
attempts To couiiuee its course, and In
short time one fipper and then the othe
are en,Angied. and the reptile Is unable I.
extricate itself II the fisherman il near hi
net he knows by the movement OF III,
corks on the surface that the turtle 1
caught, and he hastens TO row up and o
curc IT,
Turtles are kept alive In pen or crawl,
aud fed on fish and turtle Erass unit
rrady for shipment by steamer to New
York. The crawl Il an inclosurc abou
20 feet long by IS feet wide. surrounded b!
| piles driven closely together and covere,
above with boards. II In usually con
| structed near the shore In water 8 or 9 fec
deep. A crane or derrick IL used for hoist
| Ing the turtles. Cor. New York Times.
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