THE TURTLES OF SAND-KEY ISLAND. 197 



"By all means let me sec them. I am quite 

 curious to visit the museum." 



Downing opened a door, and ushered me forth- 

 with into a very large room, rough-cast with lime 

 from the floor to the ceiling ; on the walls were 

 displayed more than two hundred turtle shells of 

 all kinds and dimensions. I certainly had never 

 before seen so many specimens of the same genus 

 brought together. 



" These, sir/' said he, " are the green sea-turtles. 

 There are four kinds of them, — the trunk-turtles, the 

 big-heads, the hawk\s-bill, and the green. The first 

 are the thickest, as you may see, and their backs are 

 higher and rounder; but their meat is sometimes 

 very unwholesome. It's the same with the big-heads; 

 no one ever eats them unless obliged. These two 

 kinds feed on the scum and other things which are 

 collected among the rocks and reefs. As for the 

 hawk's-bills, they get their name from the shape of 

 their heads. They have long necks, with a kind of 

 beak at the end, and their shells are used for 

 combs and cabinet-making. These also are not 

 very good to eat, and Fve known fishermen taken 

 quite bad from eating them, just as if they had been 

 poisoned. But here are two splendid green turtles, 

 for which I refused, when they were alive, twenty 

 pounds a-piece. You see Tm fond of my collec- 

 tion, and would sooner have that perfect than earn 

 a few more dollars. However, I beg your pardon, 



