The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-29
gne eqlenlta Baum Eaele: Er1aau ormue nmbe 2s 1883
EDIBLE REPTILES.
Turtles Which Contribute to the
Worlds Food Supply.

Turtles Which Contribute TO the
Worlds Food Supply.
Monster Cheloni.ns That Frsqoent the
Ocean Depths and Fresh Water Tor.
toises Which Are Highly Valued
In tho Markets.
Forty-two species Of tortoises in
habit the United States and adjacent
seas. They furnish nearly all Of the
reptilian food supply Of this country,
which is OF great aggregate quantity,
and represents value of hundreds of
thousands of dollars annually. Among
them, says the st. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat. are several gigantic kinds which
live In the ocean, and are remarkable
in many ways. These marine turtles
are specially adapted to an aquatic
mode of existence. Their bodies have
a specific gravity almost exactly equal
to that of the water in which they are
immersed, so that they are able to sus-
tain themselves at the surface for any
length Of time without fatigue. They
never go ashore except TO lay eggs
Their hind feet are used as rudders,
while the fore feet, with which they
propel themselves, have motion SIM
liar to that of birds wings In fact,
all their movements are more those Of
flying than OF swimming.
These giant turtles are found al,
along the Atlantic coast, though il is
only in southern waters that they oc-
cur in great numbers. One of the
most powerful of them is the logger
head, which attains a weight of six
teen hundred pounds. 1t is rapid
swimmer and is often seen far from
land, floating on the waves asleep.
Carnivorous by nature. il feeds on crabs
and fishes. and especially on a large
species of conch, which it breaks with
its enormous jaws and devours in large
quantities. The flesh of this tortoise
is leathery and oily, with a strong
smell of musk. In the West Indies
formerly it was given to the slaves for
food. Young specimens, however, are
tolerably palatable, and are frequently
sold in the markets. A considerable
amount of oil may be obtained from
the loggerhead. but its rank odor un-
fits it for use in cooking. 1t has been
employed to smear on the sides Of yes
sells, which it is said to preserve from
ishipworms, and to soften certain
feathers. The scales forming the shell,
though bigger than those Of the tor.
toise-shell turtle, are very thin and apt
to be wrinkled and filed with impuri-
ties. On that account they are not used
to any great extent in the arts.
The tortoise shell of the Florida and
Gulf coast is found in many other parts
of the world. 1t does not attain weight
of more than three hundred pounds.
It's diet is exclusively vegetable, but it
is much more fierce than the carnivor-
GUS and harmless loggerhead. 1t bites
severely and intlicts painful wounds,
SO that fishermen have to be on their
guard against its attacks. The scales
or plates that cover its bony shell form
the tortoise shell of commerce They
are arranged in three rows, the central
containing five plates and each Of the
lateral rows four plates. In addition
the margin of the shell has twenty
five small plates. The colors preferred
are mingled golden yellow, reddish
jasper and white or brown. A variety
in which much white occurs is highly
esteemed, especially by the Chinese 1t
is known as blonde she'll" The best
tortoise shell comes from the Indian
archipelago. The material is initiated
beautifully in cows horn, so that only
an expert can tell the difference.
Combs made from the golden yellow
under shell Of this tortoise are eagerly
sought by Spanish ladies, fetching
from fifteen to twenty dollars apiece.
Another great marine tortoise is the
green turtle, famous in soup. In size
it comes between the loggerhead and
tortoise-shell, reaching a weight Of one
thousand pounds. 1t lives mostly in
deep water, feeding on plants, especial
ly on one called turtle grass" This
it cuts of near the roots, to procure the
most tender and succulent part, which
alone is eaten. while the rest of the
plant floats to the surface and is there
collected in large fields-a sure indica-
tion that the feeding ground of the an
imals is near. The latter, after brows-
ing for awhile in these pastures of sea-
weed, seek The mouths of rivers to
bathe in fresh water, which seems 10
be necessary for them from time to
time. In Florida the green turtle Is
said by turtle fishers TO enter the
creeks which abound on that coast,
and, having eaten its fill of the sea-
grass growing there, to roll together
masses of IT as big as a mans head,
which it cements with clay. Then,
when the turn of the tide takes the
ball out to sea, the turtle follows it,
feeding on it. When. therefore, the
fishermen find any of these balls float
ing down creek, they at once spread
A strong net across the mouth and al |
ways secure a number of the tortoises.
The flesh attached TO the upper shell il |
known in cookery as "ealipash," while |
that attached TO the lower shell IL |
called ''calipee." |
There are a good many familie Of |
edible fresh-water tortoises which live |
IN rivers, ponds and marshes Among !
these are several species Of soft-sheiled |
which are frequently Been in /
The markets, their flesh being said &c |
De even superior 10 the gveen turtle.
They are taken with hook and line.
'napping greedily at any kind Of fish |
They feed on small fishes. snails and q
-ariety of vegetable matter. Most srs,- |
luently they are seen along the mar |
yins Of sluggish and shallow streams,
Tooing sweet repose in the roluptuous
md buxom mud bank. II is said tina. !