I76 A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SEAS 



and the Turtles apparently regarding the mullet as respon- 

 sible for the disturbance treated the newcomers with 

 respect. When the mullet were later removed the Turtles 

 apparently pined, but at once recovered spirits and appetite 

 when the fish were returned. When, however, some new 

 mullet were added to the apparently " happy family," these 

 were quickly singled out and devoured. 



The Green Turtle's commercial value is well known, 

 and this choice commodity is in season the year round. 

 It is found in all tropic and semi-tropic seas, but the 

 largest and choicest come from Ascension Island. The 

 majority captured are females, which are waylaid on their 

 journey from the breeding grounds back to the sea. The 

 flesh is cut into strips and slowly sun-dried, when it looks 

 like translucent leather and commands a wholesale price 

 of about 1 6s. per lb. 



The handsome Hawksbill Turtle shows a beautiful 

 patterning both of shell and limbs, even before being 

 subjected to the polishing expert who gives the well-known 

 brilliance with a mixture of goldsize and oil. The 

 Hawksbill, another cosmopolitan wanderer of all tropic 

 seas, is hunted the year round and the horny plates over- 

 laying the shell are removed by heating. 



Turtles, which are believed to live to a great age, grow 

 very fast in their early days. Green and Hawksbill Turtles 

 in the Zoo Aquarium which now weigh one hundredweight 

 each, were not much larger than a man's hand when they 

 arrived at that institution some ten years ago. 



In the later portion of the " Age of Reptiles " both 

 Turtles and Crocodiles presented a much greater variety 

 and size than obtains to-day. Fossil remains of both 



