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  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  being 
  sold 
  in 
  the 
  markets 
  of 
  our 
  large 
  cities.^ 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  strong 
  odor 
  of 
  musk, 
  however, 
  which 
  

   detracts 
  from 
  its 
  value, 
  for 
  it 
  commands 
  only 
  a 
  small 
  price. 
  Used 
  in 
  a 
  soup 
  the 
  flavor 
  is 
  said 
  

   to 
  be 
  excellent. 
  It 
  is 
  captured 
  mostly 
  with 
  a 
  baited 
  hook 
  which 
  it 
  takes 
  readily, 
  often 
  to 
  the 
  

   exasperation 
  of 
  fishermen. 
  Formerly 
  in 
  country 
  districts 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  common 
  custom 
  to 
  keep 
  

   a 
  Snapping 
  Turtle 
  in 
  the 
  swill 
  barrel, 
  where 
  in 
  the 
  com'se 
  of 
  time, 
  it 
  grew 
  exceedingly 
  fat, 
  very 
  

   tender, 
  and 
  lost 
  most 
  of 
  its 
  musky 
  odor. 
  It 
  was 
  then 
  killed 
  and 
  eaten. 
  Mr. 
  S. 
  W. 
  Denton 
  

   of 
  Wellesley, 
  Mass., 
  tells 
  me 
  that 
  he 
  knew 
  of 
  a 
  tm-tle 
  kept 
  under 
  such 
  conditions 
  which 
  reached 
  

   the 
  weight 
  of 
  eighty-six 
  pounds. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  sometimes 
  used 
  as 
  food. 
  The 
  oil 
  from 
  this 
  turtle 
  has 
  been 
  supposed 
  to 
  

   possess 
  certain 
  medicinal 
  virtues 
  when 
  appUed 
  externally 
  to 
  sprains 
  or 
  bruises. 
  

  

  In 
  view 
  of 
  its 
  predaceous 
  habits 
  in 
  destroying 
  young 
  game, 
  fowl, 
  and 
  fish, 
  and 
  its 
  limited 
  

   value 
  as 
  food, 
  the 
  balance 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  on 
  the 
  negative 
  side 
  as 
  regards 
  its 
  economic 
  value. 
  In 
  

   his 
  Natural 
  Enemies 
  of 
  Birds, 
  Forbush 
  (1916) 
  says: 
  "So 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  learn 
  

   only 
  one 
  turtle, 
  native 
  to 
  Massachusetts, 
  can 
  be 
  counted 
  as 
  an 
  enemy 
  of 
  birds. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  

   snapping 
  turtle 
  (Chelydra 
  serpentina). 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  kill 
  and 
  eat 
  young 
  night 
  herons 
  

   that 
  had 
  fallen 
  from 
  their 
  nests, 
  and 
  is 
  considered 
  the 
  greatest 
  enemy 
  of 
  yovmg 
  waterfowl. 
  It 
  

   frequents 
  muddy 
  ponds, 
  to 
  which 
  waterfowl 
  resort, 
  and 
  drags 
  them 
  down 
  by 
  the 
  feet. 
  I 
  have 
  

   known 
  one 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  to 
  tear 
  a 
  leg 
  from 
  a 
  hving 
  adult 
  Canada 
  goose, 
  which 
  escaped 
  but 
  after- 
  

   ward 
  died. 
  All 
  who 
  attempt 
  to 
  raise 
  wild 
  fowl 
  in 
  the 
  natural 
  way 
  must 
  first 
  clear 
  the 
  breeding 
  

   pond 
  of 
  this 
  terrible 
  enemy; 
  else 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  difficult 
  to 
  rear 
  young 
  birds." 
  

  

  • 
  R. 
  C. 
  Murphy 
  (Copeia, 
  1916, 
  no. 
  33, 
  p. 
  58), 
  speaks 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  tribe 
  of 
  American 
  Indians 
  (Poospatuck) 
  on 
  Long 
  

   Island 
  that 
  uses 
  the 
  Snapping 
  Turtle 
  for 
  food. 
  

  

  