The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-28

or indistinct. 1t is to this mode OF
growth that the spreading of initials
which are cut into the shell is due, just
as letters carved on the trunks of trees
in time broaden and bulge outward.
The shell has the power of regenera-
ton. and when portion is torn away
or crushed the injured parts are grad
ually cast off, and from the surround
ing edges a new covering of horn
grows out. One-third of the entire
shell has been known to be thus re-
placed
Although so slow in their locomotion
and actions, turtles have well-devel-
oped senses. They can see very dis
tinctly, and the power of smell is es-
pecially acute, certain turtles being
very discriminating in the matter of
their food. They are very sensitive to
touch, and will react to the least tap
on their shell. Their hearing is more
imperfect. but as they have tiny piping
voices during the mating season, this
sense must be OF some use.
Water tortoises can remain beneath
the surface for hours and even days at
a time. In addition to the lungs, there
are two small sacs near the tail which
allow the animal to use the oxygen in
the water as an aid I'm breathing.
All turtles lay eggs, the shells of
NiiNi al White anu generally Oh n
parchment-like character. They are
deposited in the ground or in sand
and hatch either by the warmth of the
decaying vegetation or the heat of the
sun. In temperate countries the eggs
remain over winter, and the little tur-
ties do not emerge until spring. The
| eggs of turtles are very good to eat
| and the oil contained in them is put t
| many uses. Young turtles have a hare
| time Of ~ in oil ha Ri IL,
habit, for thousands are devored by
storks, alligators and fishes. Even ole
turtles have many enemies, not the
least curious being jaguars, when
watch for them, turn them on their
backs with flip of the paw, and eat
them at leisure
Leathery turtles-which live in the
sea-have been reported weighing over
ton. This species is very rare, and
curious circumstances is that only
very large adults or very small baby
individuals have been seen, the turtles
OF all intermediate growths keeping
out of view in the great ocean.
Swapping turtles are among the fierc-
est creatures i'm the world Their first
instinct on leaving the egg is to open
their mouths and bite at something
They feed on almost anything, but
when in captivity they sometimes re-
go year without food, showing no
apparent i'll effects. One method which
they employ in capturing food Is inter-
esting. A swapping turtle will lie quiet
ly at the bottom of a pond or lake
looking like a mold water soaked log
with a branch-its head and neck
sticking up at one end. From the tin
of the tongue, the creature extrudes
two small filaments of a pinkish coll
or, which wriggle about and bear a
perfect resemblance to the small round
worms of which fishes are so fond
Fishes are attracted by these, swim uL
to grasp the squirming objects and are
engulfed in the cruel mouth of the
angler. Certain marine turtles have
long-fringed appendages on the head
and neck, which they wave about and
thus make to serve similar purpose.
The edible terrapin has become very
scarce in places, so that thousands OF
them are kept and bred in enclosed
areas or "crawls'' as they are called.
This species has a great deal of curl
osity, and is often captured by being
attracted by some unusual sound.
The tortoise-shell of commerce is
obtained from the shell of the hawks
bill turtle, the plates of which being
very thin, are heated and welded to-
gether until of the required thickness.
The age to which turtles attain has
often been exaggerated, but they are
certainly the longest lived of all liv-
ing creatures. Individuals from the
Galapagos Islands are estimated to be
over 400 years OF age.