Terrapin
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Terrapin. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
2026 Editor's Note: This page uses language about race that was commonplace when the book was published and is offensive by today's standards. The text has been left exactly as it was printed, rather than cut or softened, so that the historical record — including how ordinary such language once was — is preserved. (Ed: ET 2026-07-22) the popular name of sev- -water eral species of fresh-water or tide , tortoises forming the family Emydidæ a shield distinguished by a horny beak, , and feet covered with epidermic plates in their partly webbed. They are active moving with habits, swimming well and land greater agility on land than the tropical tortoises. They are natives of , many and warmer temperate countries being natives of North America. They feed on vegetables, fish, reptiles, and other aquatic animals. Their flesh is much esteemed. One species, called the salt-water terrapin (Malaclemys concentrica), is abundant in the salt-water marshes around Charlestown. The chicken tortoise (Emys reticularia), so DIAMOND-BACK TERRAPIN named from its flavor, is also an esteemed American species. In the United States terrapin have become so scarce that "farms" have been started for their culture. One of these farms is at Beaulieu, Ga. P. M. Strong, the manager of this farm, in speaking of his farm and its inhabitants, says: "The terrapin is gradually disappearing. The Chesapeake Bay terrapin, that is SO highly vaunted, ated, has practically left us. There are very few of them now obtainable, and the greater portion of the terrapin now eaten in Maryland are the black stocks from South Carolina. Our black stock are fast reaching this point, though we certainly hope to postpone the ultimate extinction for many a day yet. "Our terrapin 'crawls' at Beaulieu produce more terrapin probably than any other crawl in the country. I think, TERRASSON, JEAN, a French author; by the way, that there is but one other, and that is on the Eastern Shore, near Crisfield. Our crawls are right on the river. The larger is 310 by 60 feet and is divided into three compartments for three sizes. The smaller crawl is for the baby terrapin and is 100 by 8 feet. Through both crawls there is a 'trunk,' or ditch, running, connected with the river, making a circuit of the farm and returning to the river again. The bottom of the crawls is on a level with the low tide and is covered with a layer of mud about six inches deep. Into this the terrapin burrow in winter and remain the best part of the time. Floodgates are at the opening of both crawls, so we can let in or out the water at will. Our average population of terrapin is about 40,000, one-half bulls and the other half heifers. "The feeding of the terrapin is a puzzling thing. I have not yet found whether it is necessary for a terrapin to eat at all. Once I made an experiment and put a number of terrapin in a separate crawl, kept them there for a year and gave them absolutely nothing to eat. "One way of catching them, used in the salt marshes, is for the darkies to go tramping through the mud and water, sometimes up to their waists. If they pass any terrapin these will rise out of the mud to see what the disturbance is. I have agents all along the coast who collect from the darkies and fishermen in their territory all the terrapin that are caught. Then I make periodical trips in a boat and bring them all in to the crawl. There they are fattened and kept till sold. Terrapin certainly RED-BELLIED TERRAPIN have as much sense as chickens, though no one would choose one for a pet. When the men go in to feed them they whistle, and terrapin from all over the crawl, thousands of them, come swimming through the water, piling over each efforts to get close to the other in their man with the shrimp and crabs." born in Lyons in 1670. He wrote "Sethos," a sort of philosophical novel, which contains some curious details regarding the customs of ancient Egypt, and the initations into the religious mysteries (3 vols. 1731); "Dissertation on Homer's Iliad" (1715); "Justification of the India Company" (1720). He died in Paris, 1750.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
. See Tortoise Leatherback turtle. the terrapin and a relative Brazilian terrapin Three-toed terrapin, Mississippi River Orinoco terrapin