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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  full 
  moon 
  ill 
  June. 
  The 
  feniiile 
  turtle 
  proceeds 
  some 
  distance 
  from 
  

   tlic 
  water, 
  and 
  without 
  turning 
  around 
  scoops 
  out 
  a 
  hole 
  in 
  the 
  sand, 
  

   using 
  first 
  one 
  flipper 
  and 
  then 
  another. 
  Then, 
  with 
  the 
  posterior 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  over 
  the 
  excavation, 
  the 
  turtle 
  begins 
  laying 
  the 
  

   eggs. 
  The 
  latter 
  are 
  extruded 
  in 
  lots 
  of 
  3, 
  4, 
  or 
  5 
  at 
  a 
  time, 
  with 
  

   short 
  intermissions 
  between 
  the 
  lots 
  until 
  the 
  process 
  is 
  comi^leted. 
  

   The 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  eggs 
  in 
  each 
  of 
  7 
  nests 
  examined 
  ranged 
  from 
  SO 
  to 
  

   115. 
  When 
  the 
  full 
  complement 
  lias 
  been 
  laid 
  the 
  turtle 
  returns 
  to 
  the 
  

   water, 
  after 
  carefully 
  covering 
  the 
  eggs 
  with 
  sand. 
  While 
  engaged 
  

   in 
  laying, 
  nothing 
  can 
  disturb 
  the 
  turtle 
  or 
  drive 
  her 
  away. 
  Striking 
  

   her 
  with 
  a 
  stick 
  or 
  jumping 
  up 
  and 
  down 
  on 
  her 
  back 
  apparently 
  

   produced 
  no 
  effect 
  on 
  her. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  sujiposed 
  by 
  some 
  that 
  the 
  turtle 
  returns 
  to 
  the 
  nest 
  at 
  

   the 
  time 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  hatching 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  head 
  the 
  young 
  to 
  the 
  water, 
  

   but 
  it 
  seems 
  probable 
  tliat 
  this 
  view 
  is 
  not 
  correct. 
  It 
  is 
  true 
  that 
  the 
  

   turtle 
  returns 
  in 
  about 
  three 
  weeks, 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  laying- 
  

   more 
  eggs, 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  repeated 
  from 
  four 
  to 
  six 
  times 
  during 
  the 
  sea- 
  

   son, 
  so 
  that 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  700 
  eggs 
  may 
  be 
  deposited 
  by 
  one 
  animal. 
  The 
  

   eggs 
  are 
  thought 
  to 
  hatch 
  in 
  about 
  three 
  weeks, 
  and 
  the 
  young 
  would 
  

   therefore 
  appear 
  at 
  about 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  turtle 
  returned 
  for 
  the 
  next 
  

   laying. 
  

  

  The 
  hawksbill 
  or 
  tortoise-shell 
  turtle 
  {JiJrctmocJieU/s 
  imhrieata) 
  is 
  found 
  

   on 
  the 
  southern 
  coasts 
  of 
  Florida, 
  and 
  thence 
  to 
  the 
  West 
  Indies, 
  the 
  

   Bermudas, 
  and 
  South 
  America. 
  The 
  flesh 
  is 
  eaten 
  to 
  a 
  slight 
  extent, 
  

   although 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  highly 
  regarded, 
  and 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  also 
  gathered 
  for 
  

   food 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  oil; 
  but 
  the 
  great 
  value 
  of 
  this 
  turtle 
  is 
  

   in 
  its 
  horny 
  covering, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  tortoise 
  shell 
  of 
  commerce. 
  

  

  The 
  hawksbill 
  turtle 
  attains 
  a 
  sinaller 
  size 
  than 
  either 
  the 
  green 
  

   or 
  the 
  loggerhead 
  turtle, 
  but 
  large 
  individuals 
  are 
  sometimes 
  taken, 
  

   and 
  the 
  maximum 
  weight 
  is 
  probably 
  over 
  400 
  pounds; 
  on 
  the 
  Florida 
  

   coast 
  those 
  with 
  a 
  greater 
  weight 
  than 
  100 
  pounds 
  are 
  not 
  common. 
  

   The 
  shell 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  turtles 
  is 
  thin 
  and 
  of 
  little 
  use, 
  but 
  it 
  increases 
  

   in 
  thickness 
  and 
  value 
  with 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  turtle. 
  

  

  CRUSTACEANS. 
  

  

  The 
  crustacean 
  resources 
  of 
  Florida 
  include 
  shrimp, 
  crabs, 
  and 
  the 
  

   spiny 
  lobster 
  or 
  crawfish. 
  

  

  At 
  least 
  two 
  specnes 
  of 
  shrimps 
  {Pena'us 
  setiferus 
  and 
  P. 
  brasiJieiisis) 
  

   are 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  Florida 
  fisheries, 
  but 
  the 
  fishery 
  is 
  not 
  important 
  and 
  

   the 
  abundance 
  and 
  distribution 
  of 
  these 
  animals 
  are 
  not 
  known. 
  In 
  the 
  

   coastal 
  States, 
  both 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  west 
  of 
  Florida, 
  shrimps 
  are 
  com- 
  

   mercially 
  valuable. 
  

  

  The 
  stone 
  crab 
  {Menippe 
  mercenarius) 
  is 
  found 
  along 
  the 
  southern 
  coast 
  

   from 
  Charleston 
  to 
  Key 
  West 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  entire 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida. 
  

   It 
  lives 
  in 
  holes 
  in 
  the 
  mud 
  in 
  estuaries 
  and 
  also 
  in 
  crevices 
  in 
  rocks. 
  

   Ou 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  cavities 
  in 
  rocks 
  and 
  in 
  deep 
  

  

  