The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-20
EDIBLE TURTLES.
The United States Has no Less Than
Forty Varieties.

Forty Varieties.
Edible turtles of the United States are
discussed by writer in the learned Re
vue Scientifique. He considers that the
gourmets of this country are to be con-
graduated on the number of alimentary
reptiles at their disposal. No less than
forty varieties of edible turtles are known
to exist in the United States.
The '1oggerhead" is found upon the
Atlantic coast from Virginia to Brazil.
1t is a giant that weighs from SEQ to !. 900
pounds, especially In the south The
eggs form an agreeable dish, but the
flesh is good only in the young individu-
ais, since it becomes oily and acquires
a musky taste in the adult. So the ami
NAL is hardly utilized except for the OIL
the applications Of which, however, are
limited, by reason of its odor.
1t Is the green turtles that furnish the
greater part Of the true turtle meat
These are the turtles par excellence. In
the Atlantic they are met with from New
York to Florida. Small at the north, they
increase in size toward the south, pass
ing from a weight of to Is and 20
pounds at Charleston to from 20 to 25 at
st. Augustine, So at Halifax river Sc to
60 at Indian river, and so to 100 at Key
West. At Cedar Keys specimens have
LOCO pounds.
They feed upon algae especially, and
zosterae particularly, but in captivity are
content with purslane. They often APP
proach the mouths of rivers, where they
appear TO enjoy themselves. From April
to June they repair to the shore in order
to deposit their eggs. Ane Tortugas
Islands, which are unfnhabited and which
are visited only by wreckers and turtle
fishermen, are one of their favorite
haunts, but any desert beach of the
coast is equally good for their purposes.
The female creeps up on the shore two
or three times, excavates hole, and de-
posits from 100 to 200 eggs about 800 dur
ing the season. and returns to nearly the
same place every time, and on each oc-
casion covers the eggs with sand in or
der to conceal the site of the nest. The
sun does the rest, but the sea birds de-
YOUR many of the young ones, which as
soon as Matched, open a passageway to
the exterior and betake themselves TO the
ocean.
The flesh of this species is excellent.
and forms the principal ingredient of
green turtle soup; and the amateur will
tell you that there is nothing so good
as the "calipash," the flesh is mixed with
green fat that is found under the cara.
pace. The yeHowish ''callipee" of the
plastron is good, too, but the calipash Is
certainly DSIptfs eftneF IN soup OF DTOlleu.
This meat is sold in the large cities, both
in fresh and preserved state.
Formerly the turtle was taken by means
Of harpoons or spears, but this process
injured the animal, and 1t is now taken
in nets or captured upon the beach. Ger
tain fishermen prefer to dive and take
the animal by hand, but when the reptile
is powerful this is not accomplished with
out some difficulty.
1t is in Florida especially that this
fishery Is carried on. AT Key West it is
pursued all the year. At Cedar Keys it is
carried on, especially from May 20 Oc-
tober, with driftnets from 20 to 100 faith
oms in length, that are placed on the sur
face in the vicinity of bands Of turtles
which become entangled therein and are
then taken without trouble. They are not
all killed. If the fishing is good and
from one to six day are taken per crew
or boat, some are put aside and preserved
in living state, in crawl or Enclosure
at the seaside. whence they are taken
and killed at the proper moment.
The swapping turtle and alligator turtle
are esteemed, but the terrapins pseude-