The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-16
MANUEL.
The %IIawksbiIl turtle from the YowI Islnnds
Now mt the Aquarium.

Now Mt the Aquarium.
The hawksbill turtle now at the New York
Aquarium is one OF two that were bought from
natives of the Yowl Islands, Off the coast of New
Guinea, by Capt. Small of the ship Manuel
Llaguno of New York, homeward bound from
Hong Kong. She was boarded by the natives as
she passed the islands, coming down the China
seas. Ono OF the turtles was killed and served
on the Captain table; when 1t came time to kill
the other it had become so tame and made itself
so much nj homo on the deck Of the ship. where
1t was permitted TO roam. that Capt. Small de-
cidcd to bring ii home and give 1t to Mr.. A. g.
Ropes, the head of the firm of ]. F.. Chapman e.
Co., owners and consignees OF the ship. After 1t
had roamed about tho Office OF Chapman s. Co.,
in South street, for n day, Mr.. Ropes thought
that the best disposition to make Of 1t would be
to give 1t to the Aquarium, which he did.
1t was December when the turtle was received.
and the water in the Aquarium pools would
have been too cold for 1t to live in. It was placed
in n portable tank, a galvanized iron can, oval
in shape, and about five feet In length, such as
is used for the transportation OF large fish alive,
and the tank was placed under a steam coil on
the platform in the corridor Of the Aquarium.
between its outer wall and the rear Of it's wall
tanks. from which the fishes in the tanks are
fed and cared for. and where are kept tanks for
the surplus stock. Here, feeding on killies and
chopped clans, the turtle got along very COM
fortably until the cold spell that came in jan
uary, and then it became too cold for the turtle.
even in the corridor under the steam coil. 1t
neglected its food and began to pine, and thenit
was moved up into the Aquarium laboratory.
The laboratory is n room, perhaps fifty feet
long, on the second floor OF the building, on the
side facing Battery Park. Adjoining it at one
end is the office OF the Aquarium; a staircase
from below leads up into the laboratory at this
end. whence access is had to the office. At the
other end of the laboratory, by means Of folding
devoted to various uses in aquarium work. Into
inns room me Turtle was brought. and the can
steam rraadiator. IT was far more " eomfort oh
for it here. and here it was possible to give the
turtle. which by this time had been named
taken out Of its can and placed on the floor. to
roam at will. 1t had soon explored the labora-
tory for its entire length, A visitor having bust
ness at the Aquarium office, and coming up into
the laboratory by the staircase at that end.
across that end of the long room, just strolling
around. perhaps, or making for a steam radia-
epstan s,Sh 10 rather menfins SS i"riI6i wo 1GT one sb mot &C. C.
The turtle soon discovered the steam heaters
and their proDert les: OH cold days it would re-
main near one. on very cold days II would creep
under, II heater. and stay there. In the floor OF
or opening. through which warmth comes up
fro from di q s,sem Pin that n1ar runs sn- along ngd below o W Man,
halt there to warm his shell. He was an or.
derby and quiet roamer. disturbing nobody. It
might he. while men were engaged in
the room divided of at the end OF the lahora-
tory. that Manuel would appear coming over
the sill Of the sliding doors. but nobody looked
ing back from a tour of the long room and max
ing for the steam radiator here in the room
whore his tank was placed.
Atnight the turtle is put hack in its tank. At
first II was disturbed by being put back into such
narrow quarters after its greater freedom. and it
would beat the sides OF the can with its %fippcrs:
but gradually il became accustomed to II, and
now when put back ii Is usually quiet. 1t Is fed
at this time and that also tends TO quiet IL. The
turtle has thrived in the laboratory II feeds well,
The hawksbill Is the turtle from whose shell
the tortoisc-shcll combs and ornaments are
made. Its shell does not. OF course. present in
nature the high polish Of the manufactured ar
ticles, but ii is handsome and finely marked, OF
u brownish color when dry, and showing a pur-
The hawkshill is a ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS tur-
tie, very different from the familiar snapping |
turtle. with its thick. rough, clumsy shell. The
hawksblll has the same general turtle outlines,
but ii is thinner and smoother and trimmer.
and more elegant in every way. Its fippers arc
long and wide and thin and pointed and without
claws; its front fippers appear almost like
wings. and 1t flaps them like wings when 1t is
held up. The fiippers are brown on the upper side
and white below. The hawksbill's head and neck
are brown excepting upon the throat and under
side of the head, which are cream white.
The hawksbill AT the Aquarium Is 1Ola inches
in length and 9a inches in width, these being
shell measurements. When the water gets a
little warmer the hawksbill will be placed in one
OF the Aquarium pools or tanks; finally II will
find a home in the gallery, tier. where there are
to be placed a number OF shallow tanks specially
designed for amphibians. (