﻿GREEN 
  TURTLE. 
  341 
  

  

  and 
  wanton 
  operation," 
  as 
  doubtless 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  cases 
  where 
  the 
  turtles 
  are 
  left 
  to 
  perish, 
  but 
  the 
  

   following 
  quotation 
  explains 
  its 
  necessity 
  from 
  an 
  anatomical 
  standpoint: 
  "Although 
  the 
  

   treatment 
  has 
  been 
  generally 
  condemned 
  as 
  cruel, 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  necessity 
  in 
  keeping 
  the 
  turtles 
  ahve 
  

   unless 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  placed 
  in 
  capacious 
  tanks 
  of 
  sea 
  water 
  — 
  an 
  expensive 
  process 
  for 
  the 
  

   markets. 
  The 
  plastron 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  rigidly 
  constructed 
  as 
  wdth 
  the 
  fresh-water 
  turtles. 
  If 
  exam- 
  

   ined, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  quite 
  pliable, 
  offering 
  little 
  of 
  the 
  bony 
  support 
  of 
  most 
  chelonians. 
  This 
  

   is 
  not 
  a 
  defect 
  in 
  the 
  structure, 
  as 
  the 
  sea 
  turtles 
  never 
  find 
  it 
  necessary 
  to 
  rest 
  their 
  weight 
  

   upon 
  the 
  plastron 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  brief 
  trips 
  shoreward 
  to 
  lay 
  their 
  eggs. 
  Thus, 
  if 
  these 
  animals 
  

   are 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  ' 
  normal 
  ' 
  position 
  when 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  their 
  great 
  weight 
  presses 
  the 
  plastron 
  

   upwards 
  against 
  the 
  lungs 
  and 
  other 
  internal 
  organs, 
  causing 
  speedy 
  death" 
  (Ditmars, 
  1910, 
  

   p. 
  48). 
  These 
  turtles 
  are 
  taken 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  with 
  nets, 
  harpoons, 
  and 
  in 
  various 
  other 
  

   ways. 
  

  

  "In 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  the 
  natives 
  follow 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  boat, 
  and 
  when 
  they 
  espy 
  a 
  turtle 
  

   crawhng 
  along 
  the 
  bottom, 
  a 
  man, 
  attached 
  to 
  a 
  rope, 
  dives 
  in, 
  clasps 
  it, 
  and 
  is 
  brought 
  up 
  

   by 
  his 
  companions 
  together 
  with 
  his 
  prey. 
  Turtles 
  are 
  fond 
  of 
  basking 
  asleep, 
  floating 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  then 
  harpooned 
  from 
  a 
  stealthily 
  approaching 
  boat. 
  The 
  most 
  original 
  

   mode 
  of 
  catching 
  them 
  is 
  that 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  natives 
  of 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  Madagascar, 
  and 
  Cuba. 
  

   The 
  turtle-fishers 
  go 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  boat 
  to 
  a 
  spot 
  frequented 
  by 
  grazing 
  turtles; 
  a 
  long 
  string 
  is 
  

   tied 
  to 
  the 
  tail 
  of 
  a 
  fish, 
  Echeneis, 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  Mackerel 
  family, 
  and 
  the 
  Echeneis, 
  anxious 
  

   to 
  get 
  away 
  to 
  protective 
  shelter, 
  makes 
  for 
  a 
  turtle, 
  and 
  attaches 
  itself 
  to 
  the 
  turtle's 
  plastron 
  

   by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  sucking 
  apparatus 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  its 
  head 
  and 
  neck-region. 
  The 
  men 
  

   are 
  guided 
  by 
  the 
  string, 
  and 
  the 
  turtle 
  is 
  gently 
  coaxed 
  up 
  towards 
  the 
  surface 
  or 
  followed 
  

   into 
  shallow 
  water, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  either 
  harpooned 
  or 
  dived 
  for. 
  It 
  is 
  curious 
  that 
  this 
  use 
  of 
  

   the 
  Echeneis 
  exists 
  in 
  such 
  widely 
  separated 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  world, 
  the 
  natives 
  of 
  which 
  cannot 
  

   have 
  any 
  knowledge 
  of 
  each 
  other" 
  (Gadow, 
  1901, 
  p. 
  382). 
  

  

  The 
  nests 
  are 
  also 
  robbed. 
  These 
  are 
  discovered 
  by 
  probing 
  in 
  the 
  sand 
  with 
  rods. 
  In 
  

   this 
  way 
  thousands 
  of 
  eggs 
  are 
  obtained. 
  Besides 
  man, 
  raccoons 
  have 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  uncover 
  

   and 
  destroy 
  the 
  eggs. 
  Enemies 
  of 
  young 
  turtles 
  are 
  rapacious 
  aquatic 
  birds 
  and 
  ravenous 
  

   fishes. 
  

  

  Economic 
  Importance. 
  — 
  The 
  flesh 
  of 
  this 
  turtle 
  is 
  highly 
  esteemed 
  as 
  food 
  practically 
  

   the 
  world 
  over, 
  at 
  least, 
  wherever 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  obtained. 
  It 
  is 
  used 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  famous 
  "turtle 
  

   soups" 
  but 
  as 
  steaks 
  and 
  in 
  other 
  forms. 
  It 
  has 
  an 
  agreeable 
  flavor, 
  is 
  tender, 
  and 
  fine-grained. 
  

   The 
  meat 
  is 
  dark 
  colored. 
  The 
  shell 
  has 
  no 
  conmiercial 
  value. 
  Oil 
  is 
  produced 
  from 
  the 
  eggs. 
  

  

  