GEEEN TUETLES: FOOD AND FEEDING. 151 



time in these pasturages of sea-weed, the Turtles seek the mouths of rivers, where they apparently 

 take great pleasure in bathing in the fresh water, which seems to be necessary to them from time 

 to time. They are very timid on such occasions, and hasten away into deep water at the approach 

 of man. In Florida, it "is said by turtle-flshers to enter the creeks which abound on that coast, 

 and having eaten its fill of the sea-grass growing there, to roll together masses of it of the size of 

 a man's head, vrhich it cements with clay on which the grass grows, and then when the turn of 

 the tide takes it out to sea, follows it, feeding upon it. When, therefore, the fishermen find any 

 of these balls floating down from a creek, they at once spread a strong net across the mouth, and 

 almost always secure a number of these Turtles." '■ 



Bkeeding op Green Turtles. — The Green Turtle breeds on the coasts of Florida and in 

 the Bahamas and West Indies generally. On our coast its breeding season is from April to July. 

 Holbrook gives also an excellent account of the breeding habits of this Turtle, and we cannot do 

 better than quote his words. "In the mouths of April and May, great numbers seek for this pur- 

 pose [the laying of eggs] the sandy shores of desolate islands, or the uninhabited banks of certain 

 rivers, where they are least liable to interruption in their work of reproduction. The Tortugas 

 Islands are a favorite haunt ; these are four or five uninhabited sand banks, which are only visited 

 by turtlers and wreckers. Between these islands are deep channels, so that the Turtles come at 

 once to a good landing. They are not confined, however, to these islands, but are found abun- 

 dantly on keys and inlets on the main. The female arrives by night. Slowly and cautiously she 

 approaches the shore, and if undisturbed, crawls at once over the sand above high water mark; 

 here with her fins she digs a hole one or two feet deep, in which she lays her eggs, between one 

 and two hundred in number. These ' she arranges in the most careful manner, and then scoops the 

 loose sand back over the eggs, and so levels and smooths the surface that few persons on seeing 

 the spot could imagine that anything had been done to it.' This accomplished, she retreats speedily 

 to the water, leaving the eggs to be hatched by the heat of the sua, which is generally accomplished 

 in about three weeks.^ Two or three times in the season does the female return to nearly the same 

 spot and deposit nearly the same number of eggs, so that the amount annually would be four or 

 five hundred."' The young make their way at once to the water, but many of them fall a prey to 

 the various carnivorous birds which frequent the breeding grounds. 



Uses. — The flesh of the Green Turtle is considered an excellent article of diet, and forms the 

 basis of the well-known "turtle soup." Two portions of the body have received special names in 

 the language of cookery. These are " calipash," a name for the flesh which is attached to the 

 upper shell of the Turtle, and is of a dull greenish color; and "calipee," the corresponding name 

 for the flesh adhering to the lower shell, which is of a yellowish hue. 



The animal is brought to the markets of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and other cities 

 regularly during the season, and large numbers are sold. The Pacific species, Professor Jordan 

 informs me, is seen from time to time in the markets of San Francisco, being brought in occasionally 

 by vessels coming from the south. The eggs of the Atlantic Green Turtle are eagerly sought for, 

 both on our coast and in the West Indies, and are valuable both as food and on account of the oil 

 they furnish. I am informed by a jjromiuent manufacturer of soap that the article bearing the 

 name of "turtle-oil" soap is in realitj^ made from beef or other fats, and contains not the least 

 modicum of turtle oil. The name is simply a "trade name"; no turtle oil has been imported into 

 the United States for many years. 



' ICnight : Proceedings Boston Society of Natural History, 1870, p. 16. 

 ^ Agassiz says tlie period cannot be less than seven weeks. 

 2 Holbrook: Op. ci/.,p. 29. 



