TIME OF THE TURTLE <i> by Jack Rudloe Dutton: $9.95, illustrated</i>

Rudloe writes with great affection about the seven species of sea turtles found in American waters; unfortunately, he doesn’t write about them with great skill. The text of “Time” is repetitive and marred by awkward transitions between objective facts and personal experience. A lengthy digression on the jinx diamond-backed terrapins supposedly carry seems out of place in a science book, and Rudloe’s account of the delights of eating a freshly laid turtle egg is decidedly at odds with his conservationist stance. In recent weeks, controversy has erupted over the U.S. government’s attempts to protect endangered sea turtles from accidental death in the nets of Gulf Coast shrimp fisherman; a more incisive book than this one is needed to rally support for these ancient, ugly and fascinating reptiles.