The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-24

the creature moves. When 70 Goes move.
it seems to walk on four legs, which are
in reality fins One thing the Fish
Commission experts would have liked 10
secure was swordflsh eggs. Up TO date
no egg OF n swurdfisa has ever heen seen
ana recognized, although the notion
Of insanity in fishes seems rather novel,
IL Is now believed 60 be a fact that sword.
fishes do go crazy sometimes, and it Is
on such occasions that they attack yes
sells Cases have been known where they
have pierced with their swords through
copper sheathing and several inches of
plank. Professor Richard Owen. giving
testimony In court, once said "At full
speed swordfsh strikes with the force
OF fifteen slcdgsnammers swung with
both hands; Its velocity Is equal TO that
of swivel shot, and the shock Is as dan
gerous as that OF n heavy artillery pro-
jectile.'
Most interesting OF all the creatures
that inhatit Porto Rican waters are
the great marine tortoises already referred
to. these are of three species--the green
turtle, the loguerhead and the hswksbill.
The loggerhead has been known to at
tain a weight of 1900 pounds. at 1000
pounds II Is eight feet long and niue feet
across tho back, including the hippeis.
1t is fast and strong swimmer, and the
only way TO take 1t Is to catch 1t asleep
on the water. Often specimens are seen
many miles from land, floating on the
waves In peaceful slunber. Unlike the
other big sea turtles, the loggerhead Is
narnivorous. With its powerful jaws Ii
easily cracks the shells of large conchs.
eating the "meats' OF those mollusks 1t
feeds also OH crabs and shellnsh Of all
sorts. This species OF tortoise has not u
high market value; Its oil Is utilize to
some extent, but only Che flesh OF the
young ones is good TO eat.
The green turtles are the ones that are
chiefly sought with decoys OF the kind
previously described. They sometimes
weigh as much as 1000 pounds, and their
flesh Is one OF the most priced OF table
delicacies Living In deep water, they
feed on sea plants-mainly the so-called
turtle gra ss"--which they cut of near
the roots, eating the lower part, md leav-
ing the tops floating, often In great
belds. After browsing on these ocean
pastures, they go to the river mouths for
baths In fresh water, which they seem to
need from TINS TO time. Entering the
streams, they roll together masses oil
grass, cemsnting the latter with clay into
balls. When the turn of the tide takes
the balls ont to sea, they follow them,
and the fishermen, watching for the balls
floating down, stretch their nets across
the mouth of the riser to take the tor.
toises 1he hawksbill turtle yields the
specimen furnishing as much as sixteen
pounds Nowadays the under shell,
which formerly was thrown away, Is
highly valued.
The section of the expedition that de.
voted its attention to the coral reefs had
not tho least interesting branch of the
work Porto Rico Is almost entirely com.
posea of coral formation-the work Of
humble polyps-and the reefs which
fringe its shores today are yeritable tropi-
cal gardens Such reefs are more crowded
with life than any jungle on land, mnLy
of the animals, like the cora polyps
themselves. counterfeiting plants and
flowers of delicate hues. Sea fans, branch
corals. brain corals and other species give
variety to the sub-aqueous scenery.
The fishes, crustaceans etc, brought
back by the Fish Hawk, will be carefully
studied In Washington, and from them
material Will be obtained for manual
of Porto Rican aquatic life, to be pub
lished before long by the 1overpment
The book will be Illustrated with colored
drawings of the most interesting species,
reproduced from paintings OF tie freshly
caught specimens, made 10y an artist who
acco N panied the expedition.
RENE BACH.