The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-01-31
The 5esh Bislings Papers.
SUM EATRAL HISTORY .

~ Ea.H
The Alligator is not q natiff nv M Eng.
land.
He lives upon raw pigs, and don'thesi-
tate tew take them whole, If thare don't
happen to be o smaller one handy.
He is also fond of little negro, once in
a while, by way of fresh.
They are. amphibious, and several other
kinds NV cuss tew plenty to menshun.
What on earth they are good for don't
seem to know, unless it IL tew watch for
pigs.
Their hides kan be tanned into leather,
but they are az hard tew skin az beech
tree IL; and the leather, when tanned, il
Just about as timber az cooking stove.
But one pair ov boots made out Of alliga-
tor will last az long az mans name duz;
the only way tew wear them out is to
heave them away.
Alligator meat is not luscious If you
ask for it at the fust- hotels they will
alwus tell you sthat they are jst out"
It tastes az should think the beef lov
mule would who had bin worked forty
years in a;brick-yard and then been struck
with lightning to get rid nv him. l
When an allgator's mouth il vide open
hiz head liz just about in the centre ov his
boldly; but they have one yirtew I came
very near forgitting-they make a very
still noise, altho' they have more jaw than
emmy other critter kno NV.
These are sum ov the heaviest fakts l
hay been abel tew gather about the alliga-
tor.
Tho alligator seems to be sekend edi-
ton ov the krokadile, made out of what
| was left.
think the krokadile usually lays eggs
Iwhen they want some more krokadiles, but
/ don't kno whethcr.i think the alligator
duz or don't; but if they do, and ever
find the nest, and the ole Teller amt on the
| nest, shouldn't hesitate to hatch out the
eggs myself--with klub.
/ This liz all kno at present about the
alligator.
The Rem isithe smallest thing surround
ed with feathers except the hummin~blrd.
He il about the size ov a horse chesnut.
He liz ov dark brown color, and bids
his nest in rot holes out Of little bits oV
silk.
| He il as gritty as mud.pie, and will
1 fight hen turkey.
| Rens are little pirates; i hay seen them
drive blue bird out ov his house, and set
up business on his stock in trade.
They lay an egg about the size OF a
marrow-fat p, and hatch out at least a halt
| dozen children at setting.
A young rem liz the funniest little pack
age l ever see done up; they amt much
bigger, and look very much like a small;
|'sized semi-colon.
! Rens are long-lived, but if they should
live tew be az old az Methusaler, they
wouldn't be az big az butter mutt.
They live on the bug and worm family,
and spend their winters south.
They are not profitable to eat. l would
az soon dress bumbel bee-and one rem
pot.pie would use up the whole breed.
THE CROW.
Next to the monkey, the Grow haz the
most deviltry to spare. They are born
very wild, but kan be tanned az cay AK
tho goat kan, but a tame crow IL aktually
wuss than q sore thumb.
If thare liz emmy thing about the house
that they kant git into it is bekase the
| thing amt big enuff. had rather watch
distrikt skool than one tame crow.
Crows live on what they kan steal, and
they steal emmy thing that amt tied down.
They are fond ov meat vittles, and are
the first tew hold an inquest over de-
parted horse or still sheep. They are a
| fine bird tew hunt, but a hard one tew kill.
They kan see you miles first, and will
smell gun through the side ov noun
| tain.
They are not songstirs, although they
hav good voice tew cultivate, but what
they do sing they seem to understand.
Long praktiss has made them perfekt.
The crow iz tuf bird, and kan stand
the heat like blacksmith, and the cold
like stun wall.
They bid their nest among tree, and
lay twice, and both eggs would hatch out
if they laid in a snow bank. Tharc aiat
no such thing as stopping q young crow.
Crows are lengthy; believe they live
always; nevar knu one tn die natraI
deth, and don't believe they kno how.
They are alwus thin in flesh, and are like
an injun rubber shew-poor inside.
/ They are not considered fine eating,
altho hav read sumwhare ov billed crow,
i but still never heard ov the same man
laundering for crow times.
This essa on the crow is copied from
natur, and if it IL true amt to blame; ma
tur made the crow, didn't; if had would
made her more honest, and not SO tuff.
X +
The Bumble-bee liz one ov natur's Sc
krets.
They probably hav destiny tew fill
and probably necessary, if fellow only
knew how.
They live apart from the rest of man.
kind, in little circles, numbering seventy
five or eighty souls.
They are born about haying time, and
are different. from emmy bug know ov
J they are biggest when fust born. They re.
, semble some men in this respekt.
, Their principle bizness il making honey.
but they don't make emmy to sell.
Boys sometimes rob them out ova whole
/ summers work, but thare IL one thing
about q bumbell bee that boys always
watch Gloss, and that is their helm.
I had rather not have awl the bumbell
, bee honey ,thare IL between here and the
city ov Jerusalem than tsw have bum
bell bee hit me with biz helm when he
comes round very sudden.
They differ from other war vessels; the
helm alwus minds the bumbell bee.
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