MARINE TURTLES AND TERRAPINS 283 



of the upper shell of the hawk's-bill turtle. This is 

 the smallest of the marine turtles, the lower shell 

 rarely reaching a length of more than thirty inches. 

 It is easily distinguished from other marine turtles 

 by the rough appearance of the upper shell, whose 

 shields overlap like shingles in a roof. This turtle 

 lives in nearly all tropical and semi-tropical seas. 

 It occurs on the Florida and Gulf coasts of the 

 United States and occasionally strays northward as 

 far as Massachusetts. It is hunted everywhere. The 

 principal fisheries for the hawk's-bill in the New 

 World are along the coasts of tropical America and 

 in some of the larger islands. The bony shields are 

 removed by the application of heat. This method fre- 

 quently is used on live animals by the fishermen, 

 whose belief it is that the turtles will grow new 

 shields. At least some of the animals survive the 

 ordeal, but authorities who have studied the question 

 have declared that new shields are not developed. The 

 tortoise-shell is a horny, flexible, semi-transparent 

 substance, beautifully mottled, and dark brown to 

 light yellow in color. By the application of heat and 

 pressure the shields may be flattened, molded, or 

 welded. Tortoise-shell has been highly prized for 

 ornamental purposes since early times. It was one of 

 the treasures of the Far East brought to Rome 

 through Egypt. In the manufacture of various decor- 

 ative articles, designs are frequently carved into the 

 shell and then inlaid with gold and other precious 

 metals. A high polish adds much to the attractiveness 

 of the articles made from tortoise-shell. In some of 

 the Central American countries, where many articles 



