Away swim the
poor frightened fish towards the shore; the pelicans draw into a
narrower circle, and the fish at last are brought into so small a
compass, that their pursuers find no difficulty in obtaining a plentiful
meal.
[Illustration: THE SEA TURTLE.]
CATCHING TURTLE.
There are two kinds of turtle; the one is called the green turtle, and
is much valued as a delicious article of food; the other the hawk's bill
turtle supplies the tortoise shell of commerce, which is prepared and
moulded into various forms by heat. The flesh of the hawk's bill turtle
is considered very unwholesome.
[Illustration: CATCHING TURTLE.]
The turtles in the picture are of the edible kind; they are found on the
shores of nearly all the countries within the tropics.
There is a little rocky island in the south Atlantic Ocean, called the
Island of Ascension, where they are found in vast numbers, and this
barren spot is often visited by Indiamen for the purpose of obtaining
some of them. The turtles feed on the sea weed and other marine plants
which grow on the shoals and sand banks, and with their powerful jaws,
they crush the small sea shells which are found among the weeds.
Pages:
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40