﻿CERTAIN 
  CITIZENS 
  OE 
  THE 
  WARM 
  SEA 
  

  

  59 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  Herbert 
  R. 
  Duckwal 
  

  

  A 
  KILLER 
  WHALE 
  IN 
  ACTION 
  

  

  This 
  scourge 
  of 
  the 
  oceans 
  is 
  feared 
  by 
  all 
  living 
  fish, 
  from 
  the 
  mackerel 
  to 
  the 
  sperm 
  whale. 
  

   Traveling 
  in 
  packs, 
  the 
  killers 
  are 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  wolves 
  of 
  the 
  sea. 
  

  

  in 
  coloration 
  and 
  interest. 
  It 
  reaches 
  a 
  

   large 
  size 
  and 
  will 
  in 
  all 
  probability 
  be- 
  

   come 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most-sought- 
  for 
  fishes 
  

   by 
  anglers 
  in 
  the 
  Florida 
  waters. 
  The 
  

   newness 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  will 
  doubtless 
  cause 
  

   sportsmen 
  to 
  vie 
  with 
  one 
  another 
  in 
  their 
  

   efforts 
  to 
  land 
  a 
  specimen 
  of 
  record 
  size. 
  

   The 
  new 
  tunas 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  most 
  numer- 
  

   ous 
  in 
  January 
  (Color 
  Plate 
  XIV). 
  

  

  The 
  writer 
  has 
  good 
  cause 
  to 
  believe 
  

   the 
  reason 
  this 
  fish 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  taken 
  

   until 
  recently 
  is 
  because 
  the 
  tackle 
  used 
  

   for 
  the 
  sailfish 
  and 
  other 
  fishes 
  common 
  

   in 
  the 
  waters 
  harboring 
  this 
  tuna 
  was 
  

   too 
  light 
  to 
  stand 
  the 
  strain 
  put 
  upon 
  it 
  

   when 
  this 
  powerful 
  fish 
  struck. 
  Many 
  

   lines 
  and 
  rods 
  have 
  been 
  broken 
  by 
  large 
  

   fishes 
  in 
  this 
  section, 
  and 
  sharks 
  have 
  

   been 
  blamed, 
  when 
  unquestionably, 
  in 
  a 
  

   great 
  many 
  cases, 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  newly 
  dis- 
  

   covered 
  tuna. 
  

  

  The 
  Thunnus 
  allisoni 
  is, 
  like 
  the 
  others 
  

   of 
  the 
  genus, 
  a 
  warm-blooded 
  fish 
  and 
  its 
  

   flesh 
  is 
  of 
  fine 
  quality 
  and 
  flavor. 
  

  

  Reptiles 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  fish 
  have 
  found 
  the 
  

   Gulf 
  Stream 
  a 
  kindly 
  habitat 
  ; 
  but 
  turtles, 
  

   probably 
  the 
  most 
  valuable 
  of 
  reptiles, 
  are 
  

  

  diminishing 
  rapidly 
  in 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  locali- 
  

   ties 
  bathed 
  by 
  this 
  great 
  stream 
  of 
  warm 
  

   water 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  formerly 
  abun- 
  

   dant. 
  During 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  slavery 
  it 
  is 
  

   said 
  that 
  many 
  negroes 
  were 
  prompted 
  to 
  

   try 
  to 
  escape, 
  in 
  some 
  sections 
  of 
  the 
  

   South, 
  because 
  they 
  were 
  compelled 
  to 
  

   subsist 
  mainly 
  on 
  a 
  diet 
  of 
  terrapin. 
  Now 
  

   terrapin 
  is 
  a 
  much-sought- 
  for 
  delicacy, 
  

   difficult 
  to 
  obtain. 
  And 
  what 
  is 
  true 
  of 
  

   the 
  terrapin 
  is 
  also 
  true 
  of 
  practically 
  all 
  

   other 
  turtles. 
  

  

  Without 
  doubt, 
  the 
  green 
  turtle 
  is 
  the 
  

   finest-flavored 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  turtles 
  and 
  the 
  

   most 
  highly 
  esteemed 
  as 
  food. 
  It 
  is 
  an 
  

   herbivorous 
  feeder, 
  inhabiting 
  the 
  open 
  

   seas 
  in 
  the 
  West 
  Indies, 
  the 
  Bahamas, 
  

   Brazil, 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico, 
  the 
  Pacific 
  

   Ocean, 
  and 
  the 
  Straits 
  of 
  Florida, 
  al- 
  

   though 
  it 
  is 
  now 
  almost 
  extinct 
  in 
  Florida 
  

   waters. 
  The 
  greatest 
  numbers 
  are 
  taken 
  

   off 
  the 
  Mosquito 
  Coast 
  of 
  Central 
  

   America 
  (Color 
  Plate 
  XVI). 
  

  

  The 
  green 
  turtle 
  is 
  a 
  beautiful 
  species, 
  

   reaching 
  a 
  weight 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  700 
  

   pounds, 
  but 
  averaging 
  considerably 
  less. 
  

   In 
  captivity 
  it 
  becomes 
  quite 
  tame 
  and 
  

  

  