292 SEALE. 



The green turtle (Chelone mydas Linn.) is next in importance. (Plate 

 IV, flg. 5.) This turtle has a straight bill (Plate IV, fig. 6), but the 

 shields on the back, while the same in number as in the hawksbill, are 

 perfectly smooth, evenly joined, and do not at any stage overlap. This 

 turtle is valued chiefly as food, the shell being of no value. Hovcever, 

 as an article of food it has from time immemorial been considered a 'great 

 delicacy. This species is herbivorous, and when adult it is about 1.25 

 meters in length. The flesh may be cooked in any desired way, either 

 roasted, used as soup, fricasseed, or made into stews or pies. The fol- 

 lowing method of cooking the plastron, or shell of the belly, is given' by 

 Father Labat, a Dominican monk.'' It sounds so appetizing that I give 

 it in full. 



Tlie plastron or bluckler is the shell of the belly, on which is left three or 

 four inches of flesh, with all the fat, this being green, and of a very delicate 

 flavour. The plastron is placed iii the oven. It is seasoned with lemon, capsicum 

 or cayenne, salt, pepper, cloves, and eggs beaten up. The oven ought not to be 

 too hot, as the flesh of the turtle being tender it should be cooked slowly. While 

 it is baking the flesh must be pierced from time to time with a wooden skewef, 

 so that the gravy may penetrate all parts. The shell is sent up to the table and 

 the meat carved out from it. I have never eaten anything more appetizing or 

 better flavoured. 



There are large factories in various countries that can the soup made 

 of this turtle. 



The third variety of marine turtle found in the Philippines is the 

 loggerhead (Thalassochelys caretta Linn.) (Plate IV, figs. 1 and 2). 

 This species is easily distinguished from either of the above from the fact 

 that it has 15 shields on the back and 27 around the margin of the 

 shell. The jaw is strongly hooked (Plate IV, %. 2). It feeds, on 

 crabs and other crustaceans. The shell is about 1.25 meters in length 

 when fuU-grown. The shell practically is of no value, being almost as 

 thin as paper (Plate V, fig. 4), and it is only used for veneering and 

 inlaying work. The price for which it sells is from 2 to 4 pesos per 

 kilogram. However, the animal supplies a large portion of the turtle oil 

 of commerce. 



TORTOISE- SH ELL. 



During the fiscal year 1909 there were exported from the Philippines 

 2,040 kilograms of tortoise-shell valued at 34,942 pesos. During the 

 year 1910 the exportation fell to 1,191 kilograms, probably owing to 

 home buying and domestic use. 



The hard, bony plates which cover the back (carapace) of the hawks- 

 bill turtle are the tortoise-shell of commerce (Plate V, fig. 1). There 

 are 13 of these plates on the back of each turtle, 5 in the center and 



'Simmonds, Commercial Products of the Sea. New York (1895), 367. 



