﻿DIAMOND-BACK 
  TERRAPIN. 
  385 
  

  

  Enemies.- 
  — 
  Rats, 
  crows, 
  raccoons, 
  minks, 
  and 
  hogs 
  are 
  known 
  to 
  destroy 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  

   young. 
  If 
  kept 
  in 
  a 
  tank 
  of 
  fresh 
  water, 
  the 
  Diamond-back 
  Terrapin 
  does 
  not 
  thrive, 
  as 
  its 
  

   fleshy 
  parts 
  are 
  soon 
  attacked 
  by 
  a 
  fungus, 
  which 
  presently 
  kills 
  the 
  reptile. 
  The 
  infection 
  

   may 
  be 
  killed 
  by 
  placing 
  the 
  terrapin 
  in 
  a 
  bath 
  of 
  strong 
  salt-water 
  and 
  keeping 
  it 
  there 
  for 
  

   forty-eight 
  hours 
  (Ditmars). 
  Man, 
  however, 
  is 
  at 
  present 
  the 
  greatest 
  enemy 
  of 
  this 
  terrapin. 
  

  

  Economic 
  Importance. 
  — 
  The 
  popularity 
  of 
  the 
  Diamond-back 
  Terrapin 
  as 
  an 
  article 
  of 
  

   food 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  excellent 
  flavor 
  of 
  the 
  flesh, 
  together 
  with 
  its 
  rapidly 
  decreasing 
  numbers 
  

   owing 
  to 
  the 
  great 
  inroads 
  made 
  by 
  turtle-hunters, 
  has 
  raised 
  its 
  value 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  where 
  arti- 
  

   ficial 
  propagation 
  under 
  favorable 
  conditions 
  promises 
  to 
  become 
  a 
  profitable 
  conmiercial 
  

   industry. 
  Several 
  "terrapin 
  farms" 
  are 
  now 
  in 
  existence. 
  Terrapins 
  are 
  usually 
  sold 
  in 
  

   market 
  by 
  length 
  instead 
  of 
  weight, 
  the 
  measurement 
  being 
  made 
  along 
  the 
  middle 
  Une 
  of 
  

   the 
  lower 
  shell, 
  or 
  plastron, 
  from 
  the 
  lowest 
  point 
  in 
  front 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  posterior 
  notch. 
  

   Speaking 
  of 
  prices, 
  Coker 
  says: 
  "Six-inch 
  terrapins 
  bring, 
  at 
  wholesale, 
  $30. 
  to 
  $36. 
  per 
  dozen; 
  

   seven-inch 
  terrapins 
  may 
  bring 
  $60. 
  or 
  more 
  per 
  dozen. 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  informed 
  (by 
  the 
  sellers) 
  

   of 
  two 
  sales, 
  each 
  of 
  one 
  dozen 
  eight-inch 
  terrapins. 
  It 
  is 
  doubtful 
  if 
  there 
  have 
  been 
  other 
  

   sales 
  of 
  as 
  many 
  of 
  this 
  rare 
  size 
  at 
  one 
  time. 
  In 
  one 
  case 
  $96. 
  was 
  received 
  for 
  the 
  dozen, 
  

   and 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  $120. 
  According 
  to 
  marketmen, 
  frequently 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  selected 
  terrapins 
  

   are 
  bought 
  at 
  retail 
  at 
  the 
  latter 
  rate 
  or 
  higher. 
  The 
  length 
  is 
  measured 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  shell. 
  

   The 
  larger 
  terrapins 
  are 
  all 
  females 
  or 
  'hens.' 
  The 
  males 
  or 
  'bulls' 
  are 
  rarely 
  much 
  over 
  four 
  

   inches 
  in 
  length. 
  After 
  many 
  inquiries 
  I 
  have 
  heard 
  of 
  one 
  male 
  that 
  measured 
  five 
  inches, 
  

   and 
  of 
  one 
  female 
  that 
  measured 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  nine 
  and 
  one-quarter 
  inches. 
  'Bulls' 
  are 
  usually 
  

   quoted 
  at 
  about 
  $12. 
  per 
  dozen. 
  Many 
  imdersized 
  females 
  are 
  probably 
  included 
  as 
  'bulls.'" 
  

  

  These 
  terrapins 
  are 
  not 
  abvmdant 
  enough 
  at 
  present 
  in 
  New 
  England 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  commercial 
  

   importance, 
  although 
  formerly 
  they 
  were 
  "shipped 
  by 
  the 
  barrel" 
  from 
  Buzzards 
  Bay, 
  Mass. 
  

   (Bangs, 
  1896). 
  

  

  Extracts 
  from 
  an 
  article 
  on 
  the 
  Artificial 
  Propagation 
  of 
  the 
  Diamond-back 
  Terrapin, 
  by 
  

   Hay 
  and 
  Aller 
  (1913), 
  issued 
  by 
  the 
  U. 
  S. 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  are 
  here 
  given. 
  

  

  "The 
  experimental 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  Bm-eau 
  which 
  forms 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  this 
  report 
  has 
  dealt 
  

   with 
  two 
  of 
  these 
  species, 
  namely, 
  the 
  Carolina 
  and 
  the 
  Texas 
  terrapins. 
  The 
  latter 
  species, 
  

   however, 
  has 
  been 
  kept 
  in 
  captivity 
  too 
  short 
  a 
  time 
  to 
  furnish 
  data 
  of 
  any 
  value. 
  The 
  Caro- 
  

   lina 
  terrapins, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  have 
  been 
  in 
  the 
  pounds 
  at 
  Beaufort 
  [N. 
  C] 
  over 
  four 
  years, 
  

   and 
  young 
  bred 
  from 
  them 
  have 
  reached 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  three 
  years. 
  It 
  is 
  beUeved 
  that 
  the 
  results 
  

   with 
  any 
  other 
  species 
  would 
  have 
  been 
  essentially 
  the 
  same, 
  and 
  from 
  what 
  has 
  been 
  accom- 
  

   pUshed 
  it 
  appears 
  probable 
  that 
  in 
  favorable 
  localities 
  the 
  business 
  of 
  breeding 
  diamond-back 
  

   terrapins 
  will 
  be 
  profitable. 
  If 
  taken 
  up 
  by 
  the 
  States, 
  the 
  rapidly 
  vanishing 
  animal 
  may 
  

   continue 
  to 
  be 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  sources 
  of 
  income 
  to 
  our 
  fishermen. 
  

  

  