202 THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF ANIMALS 



coast is taken to the value of over $13,000,000 a year. Cod 

 fishing also forms an important industry; over 7000 men being 

 employed and over $2,000,000 of codfish being taken each year 

 in this country. 



Hundreds of other species of fish are used as food, the fish that 

 is nearest at hand being often the cheapest and best. Why, 

 for example, is the flounder so cheap in the New York markets? 

 In what waters are the cod and herring fisheries, sardine, oyster, 

 sponge, pearl oyster? (See chart on page 201.) 



Amphibia and Reptiles as Food. — Frogs' legs are esteemed a 

 delicacy. Certain reptiles are used as food by people of other 

 nationalities, the Iguana, a Mexican lizard, being an example. 

 Many of the sea-Avater turtles are of large size, the leatherback and 

 the green turtle often weighing six hundred to seven hundred 

 pounds each. The flesh of the green turtle and especially of the 

 diamond-back terrapin, an animal found in the salt marshes along 

 our southeastern coast, is highly esteemed as food. Unfortunately 

 for the preservation of the species, these animals are usually taken 

 during the breeding season when they go to sandy beaches to lay 

 their eggs. 



Birds as Food. — Birds, both wild and domesticated, form part 

 of our food supply. Unfortunately our wild game birds are dis- 

 appearing so fast that we should not consider them as a source 

 of food. Our domestic fowls, turkey, ducks, etc., form an impor- 

 tant food supply and poultry farms give lucrative employment 

 to many people. Eggs of domesticated birds are of great impor- 

 tance as food, and egg albumin is used for other purposes, — 

 clarifying sugars, coating photographic papers, etc. 



Mammals as Food. — When we consider the amount of wealth 

 invested in cattle and other domesticated animals bred and used 

 for food in the United States, we see the great economic impor- 

 tance of mammals. The United States, Argentina, and Australia 

 are the greatest producers of cattle. In this country hogs are 

 largely raised for food. They are used fresh, salted, smoked as 

 ham and bacon, and pickled. Sheep, which are raised in great 

 quantities in Australia, Argentina, Russia, Uruguay, and this 

 country, are one of the world's greatest meat supplies. 



