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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  spiuy 
  lobster 
  or 
  crawfish, 
  which 
  is 
  extremely 
  abuudaut, 
  Avorild 
  

   doubtless 
  meet 
  with 
  sale 
  in 
  a 
  fresh 
  condition 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  juarkets 
  

   after 
  its 
  food 
  value 
  became 
  known, 
  and 
  it 
  would 
  undoubtedly 
  prove 
  a 
  

   satisfactory 
  substitute 
  for 
  the 
  common 
  lobster. 
  The 
  crawfisli 
  of 
  the 
  

   California 
  coast, 
  which 
  closely 
  resembles 
  the 
  Florida 
  species, 
  has 
  been 
  

   canned 
  in 
  limited 
  quantities 
  and 
  is 
  consumed 
  fresh 
  in 
  very 
  large 
  

   numbers. 
  

  

  THE 
  TURTLE 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  ]n-ominent 
  of 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  flslieries, 
  ranking 
  

   next 
  to 
  the 
  sponge 
  and 
  bottom 
  fisheries 
  in 
  number 
  of 
  persons 
  engaged 
  

   and 
  value 
  of 
  products. 
  While 
  quite 
  imj)ortant, 
  this 
  fishery 
  is 
  much 
  

   less 
  valuable 
  than 
  formerly, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  supply. 
  

  

  In 
  1805 
  this 
  fishery 
  gave 
  employment 
  to 
  76 
  persons, 
  of 
  whom 
  27 
  were 
  

   on 
  registered 
  vessels 
  and 
  49 
  on 
  oi^en 
  sailboats 
  or 
  small 
  sloops. 
  The 
  

   number 
  of 
  vessels 
  and 
  boats 
  used 
  was 
  29. 
  The 
  crews 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   vessels 
  nund)ered 
  5 
  men, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  small 
  boats 
  only 
  2 
  men 
  were 
  

   carried. 
  The 
  apparatus 
  consisted 
  chiefly 
  of 
  nets, 
  of 
  which 
  54 
  were 
  set, 
  

   but 
  some 
  turtling 
  was 
  done 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  pegs. 
  

  

  Three 
  species 
  of 
  turtles 
  are 
  caught, 
  namely, 
  the 
  green, 
  the 
  logger- 
  

   head, 
  and 
  the 
  hawksbill, 
  but 
  the 
  green 
  turtle 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  important. 
  

   The 
  average 
  weight 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  is 
  between 
  125 
  and 
  275 
  pounds. 
  The 
  

   loggerhead 
  turtle, 
  wiiile 
  quite 
  common, 
  is 
  not 
  sought 
  to 
  any 
  great 
  

   extent, 
  as 
  in 
  food 
  value 
  it 
  is 
  inferior 
  to 
  the 
  green 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  in 
  demand 
  

   for 
  shipment. 
  It 
  exceeds 
  the 
  green 
  turtle 
  in 
  size. 
  A 
  few 
  hawksbill 
  

   turtles 
  are 
  taken 
  each 
  year. 
  They 
  average 
  about 
  80 
  pounds 
  in 
  weight, 
  

   although 
  many 
  small 
  ones 
  are 
  caught. 
  Their 
  flesh 
  has 
  little 
  value, 
  but 
  

   their 
  shell 
  (which 
  is 
  the 
  tortoise 
  shell 
  of 
  commerce) 
  brings 
  a 
  high 
  price. 
  

   The 
  average 
  weight 
  of 
  the 
  shell 
  is 
  about 
  3i 
  pounds, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  worth 
  

   from 
  $2 
  to 
  $4.50 
  per 
  pound, 
  depending 
  on 
  the 
  quality. 
  

  

  The 
  grounds 
  extend 
  for 
  many 
  miles 
  along 
  the 
  keys, 
  and 
  also 
  include 
  

   the 
  coast 
  of 
  the 
  mainland 
  of 
  Monroe 
  County 
  and 
  the 
  Straits 
  of 
  Florida. 
  

   The 
  principal 
  region 
  is 
  from 
  Marquesas 
  Key, 
  30 
  miles 
  west 
  of 
  Key 
  

   West, 
  to 
  Alligator 
  Light, 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  coast; 
  there 
  is 
  also 
  good 
  turtling 
  

   in 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Florida 
  — 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico 
  intervening 
  

   between 
  tlie 
  western 
  keys 
  and 
  the 
  mainland. 
  

  

  Fishing 
  is 
  carried 
  on 
  throughout 
  the 
  year. 
  Crawls 
  or 
  pens 
  are 
  located 
  

   at 
  convenient 
  places, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  turtles 
  are 
  kept 
  pending 
  collection 
  

   and 
  transportation 
  to 
  Key 
  West, 
  whence 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  sent 
  by 
  

   steamer 
  to 
  JS^ew 
  York, 
  At 
  Key 
  West 
  the 
  turtles 
  are 
  sold 
  at 
  public 
  

   auction, 
  and 
  are 
  bought 
  by 
  agents 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  houses. 
  Pending 
  sale 
  

   or 
  shipment 
  the 
  turtles 
  are 
  kept 
  in 
  large 
  \)c\)s 
  near 
  the 
  docks. 
  

  

  Quite 
  a 
  business 
  is 
  done 
  in 
  loggerhead-turtle 
  eggs. 
  These 
  are 
  either 
  

   taken 
  from 
  the 
  female 
  turtles 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  caught 
  for 
  market 
  or 
  are 
  

   dug 
  up 
  from 
  the 
  sand 
  where 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  buried 
  by 
  the 
  turtles. 
  

   The 
  eggs 
  taken 
  directly 
  from 
  the 
  female 
  are 
  yellow 
  in 
  color 
  and 
  bring 
  

   the 
  best 
  price; 
  those 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  laid 
  are 
  white 
  and 
  sell 
  for 
  about 
  

  

  