364 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



The average annual imports of tortoise-shell into France 

 have been as follows : — 



Kilogrammes. Value in francs. 

 In the ten years ending 1856 ... 13,389 ... 730,096 

 1866 ... 31.629 ... 1,251,922 

 1876 ... 42,306 ... 2,078,910 



Passing now to the food uses of the turtle — M. Lacepede 

 well remarks that one of the best presents which nature 

 has given to the inhabitants of equatorial countries, one of 

 the most useful products w^iich it has deposited on the con- 

 fines of land and water, is the turtle. 



The flesh of some species of marine tortoises, but 

 particularly of the green turtle {Chelonia midas), is in the 



Fig. 27. 



Green or Edible turtle. 



greatest request as a luxury for the table, at least in 

 England, and the animal itself is an object of commerce. 

 The arrival of a cargo of "lively turtles" is by no means 

 a thing of trifling importance. Of late years, the flesh is 

 imported dried, which has placed it within the reach of 

 general consumers. It is also salted in some quarters. All 

 the turtles afford a considerable quantity of oil, which is 

 employed for various purposes. In some of the West 

 Indian islands it supplies, when fresh, the place of butter 

 or salad oil for culinary purposes, and it is also used for 

 burning in lamps. 



Turtle would seem to have been first introduced in 



