﻿LEATHER-BACK 
  TURTLE. 
  337 
  

  

  11:30 
  A. 
  i\I. 
  until 
  4 
  P. 
  M. 
  in 
  finally 
  landing 
  him. 
  When 
  about 
  half 
  way 
  to 
  shore 
  he 
  suddenly 
  

   turned, 
  and 
  made 
  a 
  break 
  out 
  to 
  sea, 
  towing 
  the 
  boat 
  stern 
  first, 
  with 
  all 
  sail 
  drawing 
  full, 
  for 
  

   several 
  hundred 
  yards, 
  with 
  little 
  effort. 
  He 
  emitted 
  at 
  intervals 
  a 
  noise 
  somewhat 
  resembhng 
  

   the 
  grunt 
  of 
  a 
  wild 
  boar" 
  (E. 
  G. 
  Boulenger, 
  1914, 
  p. 
  14). 
  

  

  Sears 
  (1886) 
  describes 
  the 
  behavior 
  of 
  a 
  captured 
  specimen 
  as 
  follows: 
  "The 
  motions 
  of 
  

   this 
  turtle 
  were 
  remarkably 
  quick 
  for 
  so 
  large 
  a 
  creature 
  when 
  out 
  of 
  its 
  natural 
  element; 
  it 
  

   moved 
  around 
  the 
  room 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  confined, 
  upsetting 
  barrels, 
  tables 
  and 
  the 
  stove 
  as 
  

   easily 
  and 
  as 
  quickly 
  as 
  a 
  Texas 
  wild 
  steer 
  would 
  have 
  done, 
  causing 
  a 
  general 
  commotion. 
  

   In 
  its 
  struggles 
  while 
  being 
  secured 
  (which 
  was 
  accomplished 
  by 
  lashing 
  the 
  anterior 
  flippers 
  

   together 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  side) 
  it 
  uttered 
  a 
  sound 
  of 
  great 
  volume, 
  an 
  indescribable 
  kind 
  of 
  noise 
  

   such 
  as 
  is 
  heard 
  sometimes 
  at 
  a 
  menagerie. 
  Its 
  eyelids 
  open 
  vertically 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  opposite 
  direc- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  other 
  turtles. 
  UnUke 
  other 
  turtles, 
  this 
  species 
  cannot 
  turn 
  theu- 
  head 
  sidewise 
  

   or 
  move 
  it 
  up 
  or 
  down, 
  so 
  that 
  we 
  were 
  perfectly 
  safe 
  from 
  his 
  vicious 
  snaps 
  while 
  securing 
  

   his 
  flippers." 
  

  

  The 
  fact 
  that 
  only 
  large, 
  adult, 
  or 
  very 
  young 
  individuals 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  have 
  been 
  taken 
  

   would 
  suggest 
  that 
  during 
  growth 
  these 
  turtles 
  either 
  remain 
  far 
  out 
  to 
  sea 
  or 
  else 
  are 
  so 
  shy 
  

   that 
  they 
  dive 
  at 
  the 
  slightest 
  sign 
  of 
  danger. 
  

  

  Food. 
  — 
  Sea-weeds, 
  crustaceans, 
  mollusks, 
  and 
  fishes 
  are 
  considered 
  its 
  chief 
  diet. 
  Agassiz 
  

   assumed 
  the 
  species 
  was 
  carnivorous 
  from 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  jaws. 
  Gadow 
  is 
  inclined 
  to 
  this 
  

   view. 
  Nothing, 
  apparently, 
  is 
  definitely 
  known 
  regarding 
  its 
  food 
  habits. 
  It 
  -is 
  probably 
  

   omnivorous. 
  

  

  Enemies. 
  — 
  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  imagine 
  this 
  giant 
  of 
  the 
  seas 
  in 
  danger 
  from 
  any 
  but 
  the 
  largest 
  

   predaceous 
  fish. 
  Man 
  does 
  not 
  persistently 
  hunt 
  it. 
  

  

  Econo7nic 
  Importance. 
  — 
  Its 
  flesh 
  has 
  no 
  market 
  value, 
  being 
  considered 
  unfit 
  for 
  food. 
  

   The 
  thick 
  fatty 
  blubber-hke 
  coating, 
  overlying 
  the 
  bony 
  carapace 
  contains 
  about 
  one 
  pint 
  

   of 
  oil 
  for 
  every 
  square 
  foot 
  (Hornaday). 
  

  

  It 
  may 
  be 
  of 
  interest 
  to 
  note 
  that 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  early 
  name? 
  suggested 
  for 
  this 
  turtle, 
  Testudo 
  

   lyra, 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  myth 
  that 
  the 
  shell 
  was 
  used 
  by 
  Mercury 
  in 
  his 
  construc- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  lyre. 
  

  

  