﻿LOGGERHEAD 
  TURTLE. 
  353 
  

  

  man's 
  mercy, 
  yet 
  clumsily 
  alert. 
  It 
  suddenly 
  exhales 
  the 
  breath 
  with 
  a 
  deep, 
  roaring 
  sovmd, 
  

   while 
  the 
  bleary, 
  seal-like 
  eyes 
  stare 
  in 
  a 
  seemingly 
  vacant 
  fashion. 
  If 
  a 
  big 
  conch 
  shell 
  is 
  

   shoved 
  within 
  reach 
  of 
  the 
  jaws, 
  it 
  is 
  seized 
  and 
  crushed 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  grasp. 
  Turned 
  on 
  its 
  back, 
  

   the 
  giant 
  is 
  helpless. 
  If 
  not 
  hindered, 
  it 
  makes 
  for 
  the 
  sea, 
  causing 
  a 
  great 
  commotion 
  in 
  

   reaching 
  the 
  water, 
  as 
  it 
  flounders 
  for 
  sufficient 
  depth 
  where 
  it 
  may 
  find 
  purchase 
  for 
  the 
  paddle- 
  

   Uke 
  hmbs." 
  In 
  swimming 
  it 
  carries 
  its 
  front 
  flippers 
  well 
  up 
  over 
  the 
  back, 
  in 
  a 
  manner 
  sug- 
  

   gestive 
  of 
  the 
  \\dngs 
  of 
  a 
  bird. 
  

  

  Food. 
  — 
  This 
  turtle 
  is 
  considered 
  chiefly 
  carnivorous 
  in 
  its 
  natural 
  state. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  

   known 
  to 
  eat 
  blue 
  crabs 
  (Mellita), 
  shellfish 
  such 
  as 
  "the 
  various 
  Buccinii 
  and 
  Trochi, 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  a 
  large 
  conch 
  (Strombus) 
  wliich 
  it 
  breaks 
  easily 
  between 
  its 
  stout 
  mandibles" 
  (Holbrook, 
  

   1842, 
  vol. 
  2, 
  p. 
  37). 
  Fowler 
  (1914) 
  found 
  the 
  stomach 
  contents 
  of 
  one 
  to 
  consist 
  entirely 
  of 
  

   the 
  remains 
  of 
  the 
  hermit 
  crab 
  (Pagurus 
  pollicaris) 
  and 
  borers 
  {Natica 
  duplicala). 
  

  

  Ene77iies. 
  — 
  The 
  greatest 
  depletion 
  in 
  numbers 
  comes 
  during 
  early 
  growth, 
  while 
  the 
  

   young 
  turtles 
  remain 
  in 
  shallow 
  waters. 
  There 
  they 
  become 
  victims 
  to 
  predaceous 
  fish, 
  birds, 
  

   and 
  mammals. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  sporadically 
  hunted 
  by 
  natives 
  and 
  fishermen. 
  Raccoons 
  and 
  

   hogs 
  have 
  also 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  destroy 
  the 
  nests. 
  The 
  adult 
  turtles 
  are 
  not 
  persistently 
  hunted 
  

   by 
  man. 
  

  

  Economic 
  Importance. 
  — 
  This 
  turtle 
  has 
  a 
  far 
  less 
  commercial 
  value 
  than 
  either 
  the 
  Green 
  

   or 
  the 
  Hawksbill 
  Turtles, 
  although 
  it 
  is 
  brought 
  to 
  American 
  markets 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers 
  

   to 
  be 
  sold 
  for 
  food. 
  The 
  flesh 
  is 
  dark 
  colored 
  and 
  coarser 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Green 
  Turtle, 
  and 
  

   resembles 
  beef 
  in 
  color 
  and 
  flavor. 
  In 
  this 
  connection 
  Hornaday 
  (1914, 
  vol. 
  4, 
  p. 
  48) 
  relates 
  

   the 
  following 
  incident: 
  "The 
  flesh 
  of 
  this 
  animal 
  bears 
  so 
  close 
  a 
  resemblance 
  to 
  beefsteak 
  

   that 
  even 
  a 
  butcher 
  can 
  not 
  always 
  detect 
  the 
  difference. 
  One 
  Christmas 
  morning, 
  at 
  Key 
  

   West, 
  I 
  dissected 
  a 
  large 
  Loggerhead. 
  The 
  flesh 
  was 
  fresh, 
  and 
  very 
  tempting, 
  and 
  when 
  a 
  

   choice 
  lot 
  of 
  steaks 
  were 
  offered 
  to 
  the 
  landlady 
  of 
  a 
  certain 
  small 
  hotel, 
  they 
  were 
  gratefully 
  

   accepted. 
  

  

  "It 
  happened 
  that 
  the 
  butcher 
  who 
  supplied 
  the 
  hotel 
  with 
  beef 
  and 
  mutton 
  was 
  a 
  boarder 
  

   thereat; 
  and 
  as 
  became 
  his 
  calUng, 
  he 
  sat 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  long 
  table, 
  and 
  served 
  the 
  meat. 
  

   Although 
  he 
  was 
  an 
  able 
  butcher, 
  he 
  had 
  one 
  weakness; 
  and 
  it 
  lay 
  in 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  he 
  'could 
  not 
  

   eat 
  turtle-meat'; 
  it 
  was 
  'too 
  oily,' 
  'too 
  musty,' 
  and 
  too 
  far 
  removed 
  from 
  beefsteak. 
  

  

  "With 
  no 
  unnecessary 
  announcements, 
  the 
  turtle-steaks 
  were 
  fried, 
  a 
  la 
  beefsteak, 
  and 
  

   set 
  before 
  the 
  butcher. 
  He 
  served 
  them 
  as 
  beefsteak, 
  ate 
  his 
  own 
  portion 
  with 
  evident 
  relish, 
  

   and 
  all 
  the 
  other 
  guests 
  ate 
  theirs. 
  The 
  butcher 
  had 
  nearly 
  finished 
  his 
  second 
  instalment, 
  

   without 
  having 
  discovered 
  the 
  substitution, 
  when 
  he 
  was 
  asked 
  how 
  he 
  liked 
  turtle-steaks 
  for 
  

   a 
  change." 
  

  

  Near 
  its 
  breeding 
  grounds, 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  sometimes 
  sold 
  locally 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  food. 
  

  

  