MARINE TURTLES AND TERRAPINS. 285 



hundred pounds. It gets its name from the leathery 

 appearance of its skin, which is bare of the horny 

 shields found on other marine turtles. This huge 

 reptile has no commercial value, for its flesh is unfit 

 for food, and its covering worthless. 



Diamond-Back Terrapins 



The diamond-back terrapins are the smallest of the 

 group of animals discussed in this chapter, for they 

 seldom exceed a length of seven and a half to eight 

 inches on the median line of the lower shell. (This 

 measurement is given, because it is the only one used 

 in determining the value of diamond-back terrapins 

 on the market.) Although the smallest of the group, 

 they are nevertheless by far the most valuable 

 economically, for, as has already been mentioned, 

 their flesh is unexcelled in flavor and is in very 

 great demand. 



The great demand and the fancy prices paid for 

 diamond-back terrapins has led to over-fishing, wath 

 the result that these animals have become very scarce 

 in many localities where they once were plentiful. A 

 quarter of a century or so ago Chesapeake Bay and 

 North Carolina were the centers of the terrapin in- 

 dustry. The Chesapeake supply is practically ex- 

 hausted, and the Fish Commission of North Carolina 

 is making a desperate effort, first to save what is left 

 of a once plentiful supply, then to rebuild the fishery 

 by prohibiting the sale of the animals for a period of 

 five years, and furthermore to restock the waters 

 through artificial culture. Because of the scarcity 

 of the Chesapeake and Carolina terrapins, the more 



