FISHERY RESOURCES OP THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 293 



4 on each side. In commercial terms these are known as 8 "sides," 3 

 'Tioofs," 1 "sknll," and 2 "main" plates. The two middle side-plates are 

 of the greatest value, being the largest and thickest. Plates 17 by 30 

 centimeters in diameter with a thickness of 5 to 6 millimeters are not 

 unusual in the Philippines. In addition to these large plates, there are 

 25 small ones around the margin of the shell ; these are known as "hoofs" 

 and are of much less value. All of the plates together are known as a 

 "head" of shell, and tortoise-shell nearly always is sold by the "head." 



Practically all the Philippine tortoise-shell is brought into the market 

 by native fishermen. Now, while a small number of these turtles is 

 captured by fair means, with hook, net, spear^ or trap, by far the greater 

 number is taken when they come ashore to deposit their eggs. The 

 fishermen are so eager to secure their prizes that as a rule they do not 

 give the poor turtle a chance to deposit her eggs before they kill her. 

 This short-sighted policy eventually will result in the destruction of the 

 fisheries unless the turtles are protected during the breeding season, which 

 is from May to August. The turtle fishermen go to small, uninhabited 

 islands, frequently many miles from the large islands surrounding the 

 Sulu . Sea, and wait perhaps days for the turtles to come ashore to deposit 

 their eggs. If the men are in no especial hurry they may wait until the 

 turtle has deposited her eggs, which sometimes are 150 to 200 in number, 

 and about the size of hens' eggs, with tough leathery shells. The fisher- 

 men then kill her before she can reach the water, and dig up the eggs 

 which they use as food. The islands of Bancoran, Lumbucan, Arena, 

 Cavilli, and others in the Sulu Sea, are well-known nesting places of the 

 tujtle, and it is only necessary to visit these islands to see the destruction 

 wrought during the nesting period. 



The best method of removing the tortoise-shell from the back of the 

 turtle is to immerse the back in boiling water until the shell loosens; 

 another method is to bury the body in the sand for eight days, when the 

 shell becomes loosened; still another is to hold the shell over a slow fire 

 until loosened. This latter process usually is employed. In some coun- 

 tries the live animal is held over the fire until the shell is loosened ; it is 

 then turned loose "to grow another shell." This method is barbarous, 

 not only for its cruelty but also for its lack of utility, for the animal 

 promptly dies. 



WOBKINQ AND WELDING TOBTOISE-SHELL. 



The methods employed in the working of tortoise-shell are quite similar 

 to those used in working horn. As a matter of fact, horn frequently 

 is used as an imitation of tortoise-shell. Slow heat or steam is em- 

 ployed, the shell becoming plastic by immersion in water of 90°C. for 

 two minutes. When cool, it retains any shape given it while hot. 



