﻿LOGGERHEAD 
  TURTLE. 
  351 
  

  

  full 
  weight 
  to 
  bear 
  upon 
  it. 
  After 
  the 
  trench 
  was 
  nearly 
  filled 
  she 
  tiu-ned 
  about 
  over 
  the 
  region 
  

   several 
  times 
  and 
  threw 
  and 
  scattered 
  the 
  sand 
  in 
  every 
  direction 
  with 
  all 
  four 
  fhppers 
  so 
  as 
  

   to 
  conceal 
  the 
  place, 
  especially 
  that 
  where 
  the 
  eggs 
  were 
  laid. 
  This 
  completed 
  she 
  returned 
  

   to 
  the 
  sea 
  and 
  entered 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  spot 
  where 
  she 
  came 
  out. 
  On 
  the 
  way 
  down 
  

   the 
  beach 
  I 
  stood 
  on 
  her 
  back 
  and 
  she 
  carried 
  me 
  (165 
  lbs.) 
  apparently 
  with 
  but 
  little 
  effort. 
  

   From 
  what 
  has 
  been 
  said 
  regarding 
  the 
  concealment 
  of 
  the 
  nest 
  of 
  the 
  loggerhead 
  turtle 
  it 
  

   must 
  not 
  be 
  assumed 
  that 
  the 
  nesting-place 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  find 
  — 
  quite 
  the 
  contrary, 
  for 
  the 
  

   turtle-tracks 
  leading 
  to 
  and 
  from 
  it 
  are 
  very 
  conspicuous 
  and 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  mistaken. 
  The 
  place 
  

   where 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  biu-ied 
  is, 
  however, 
  not 
  easy 
  to 
  find. 
  In 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  nest 
  described 
  I 
  had 
  

   considerable 
  difficulty 
  in 
  finding 
  the 
  eggs, 
  even 
  after 
  carefully 
  watching 
  the 
  whole 
  process 
  of 
  

   lajdng 
  and 
  noting 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  tm-tle 
  in 
  detail; 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  quite 
  in 
  harmony 
  with 
  the 
  

   experience 
  related 
  to 
  me 
  by 
  several 
  fishermen 
  who 
  collect 
  the 
  eggs 
  for 
  food. 
  

  

  "The 
  eggs 
  in 
  this 
  nest 
  were 
  11 
  inches 
  below 
  the 
  surface, 
  and 
  they 
  occupied 
  a 
  space 
  6.5 
  

   inches 
  in 
  depth 
  and 
  9 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  making 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  nest 
  17.5 
  inches 
  from 
  the 
  

   surface. 
  The 
  turtle 
  under 
  observation 
  was 
  out 
  of 
  water 
  42 
  minutes, 
  approximately, 
  3 
  of 
  which 
  

   were 
  required 
  to 
  come 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  to 
  the 
  nest, 
  4 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  trench, 
  8 
  to 
  dig 
  the 
  hole, 
  12 
  

   to 
  lay 
  the 
  eggs, 
  and 
  15 
  to 
  fill 
  the 
  hole 
  and 
  trench, 
  smooth 
  ofi' 
  the 
  place 
  and 
  get 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  sea. 
  

   The 
  rate 
  of 
  locomotion 
  on 
  land 
  is 
  about 
  half 
  a 
  mile 
  an 
  hour." 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  roughly 
  spherical. 
  The 
  shells 
  are 
  calcareous, 
  but 
  soft. 
  As 
  incubation 
  

   progresses 
  the 
  shells 
  may 
  become 
  very 
  distended. 
  The 
  incubation 
  period 
  in 
  the 
  natural 
  state 
  

   is 
  about 
  two 
  months, 
  but 
  if 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  transferred, 
  it 
  may 
  cover 
  nearly 
  three 
  months. 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  when 
  hatched 
  measure 
  two 
  and 
  one-half 
  inches 
  and 
  remain 
  in 
  warm 
  shallow 
  

   inlets 
  while 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  and 
  defenseless 
  state. 
  They 
  seek 
  the 
  water 
  instinctively 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  

   hatched. 
  

  

  From 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  certain 
  reactions 
  to 
  color 
  in 
  the 
  young 
  Loggerhead 
  Tvutle, 
  Hooker 
  (1911) 
  

   draws 
  the 
  following 
  conclusions: 
  

  

  "(1) 
  The 
  newly-hatched 
  loggerhead 
  turtle 
  moves 
  away 
  from 
  transparent 
  and 
  opaque 
  

   red, 
  orange, 
  and 
  green, 
  and 
  from 
  green 
  bay-cedar 
  bushes, 
  and 
  moves 
  toward 
  transparent 
  or 
  

   opaque 
  blue. 
  

  

  "(2) 
  After 
  entering 
  the 
  water, 
  the 
  animal 
  s^\nms 
  out 
  to 
  sea, 
  apparently 
  attracted 
  by 
  the 
  

   darker 
  blue 
  of 
  the 
  deeper 
  water. 
  The 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  is 
  an 
  entirely 
  negHgible 
  quantity. 
  

  

  " 
  (3) 
  When 
  on 
  the 
  beach 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  sand-pit 
  u-ith 
  level 
  floor, 
  from 
  which 
  pit 
  sight 
  of 
  the 
  

   bushes 
  and 
  the 
  ocean 
  is 
  excluded, 
  but 
  into 
  which 
  the 
  sun's 
  rays 
  shine 
  directly, 
  there 
  is 
  exhib- 
  

   ited 
  no 
  definite 
  tendency 
  to 
  move 
  in 
  any 
  definite 
  direction. 
  

  

  " 
  (4) 
  Yoimg 
  loggerhead 
  turtles 
  are 
  negatively 
  geotropic, 
  but 
  when 
  all 
  possible 
  downward 
  

   inclines 
  have 
  been 
  exhausted 
  they 
  become 
  positively 
  geotropic. 
  

  

  "(5) 
  Under 
  a 
  restricted 
  envirormient 
  the 
  young 
  turtle 
  is 
  photophilous 
  and 
  responds 
  to 
  

  

  