The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-30
For the Dispatch.
observation-disclosures.


ag',c, long, black, shiny looking lizard,
from ten TO twenty-three feet long, and YOU
have him exactly. A dirticr, nasticr-look-
ing creature can be seen nowhere. / have
seen hCndredS of them, and never saw two
in company. When they are often hunted
aud mach shot at, they become very shy
and aNo.@ men instinctivcly. In wilder
parts ot The country they arc fierce, ar
sometimes troublesome. Travellers boast
of killing a great many; and, TO hear the
accounts of the cockncys when they come
down the It. Johns river, you would expect
10 and the stream covered with their dead
floating raicasses.
| have allowed, Judging from these re-
ports. ten "!ligators al least 10 every travel
Ter who carries a gun: and as there are
about eight thousand OF these every winter
in Florida. one can imagine what the
slaughter should be, according to these
viNaciouS travellers tales. At the same
time the number Of alligators has not sem
sihly diminished: so that there is a mistake
somewhere either the shooters lie, under
Ia mistake, CT the alligntors, finding out
what Is required Of them, breed up to the
necessary qu nifty, and keep up the num-
her of these a'}ori-;nal citizens that the sup
ply may be cuu1i t" the demand. In truth,
he creature is very hard to kill In three
days journey Cu ~" st. Johns | saw some
two hundred shot fired, and only one ALI
gator Killed outright. He was shot in he
eye; his brain was penetrated, and he lav
like 4 log. o." MIS- ,nauc very sick by a
bail i'll nc uC,h. a:i las had a stiff meek
ever since. = @..3"alV takes about his
own weight II. ,.v, to kill one. OF course,
when walked -, sG.,U his sleep in the niIl3
by ball gliiir@ III III, coat Of mail. he
pluugcs into doe water, and the rejoicing
traveller coum'- hlu a~ Killed. Thi~ cX-
lo; 1,, .f.,l.
Some Of the Oh, ra>cal> rather like to be
tired at they AZ" used to il. and seem to
know that il aLru~'.s strangers, Will, it
don't hurt them. They will get out of the
way in tho slOwco+, l,zirst manner, and
cock their eyes upat YOU with the saGciest,
most independent look, - though they felt
certain Of titeir own powers, and contempt
uou>ly doubtful Of yours. Each one ., the
big fellows viii have his own strctci! ofrlycr
shore. or his own side OF Il pond. OF the
Who'll" q; il il Il >lnai! one, and allow no in
tru>ion OF others al his kind. have often
heard The negro stccr>Nan call cut. Get
E0Ur guns, Wc are near the place where
the biz gator lives :: and there he would
lie. sure enough, monarch OF al he sun
ycyed. II another tres passes there is L big
tight. generally ended l,y the stronger eat
,um the weaker. Ut course the conrur, c;i
has tiIc right 10 di-">t his quarrel III The
/ stomach OF the comuuCrUr. OF c"atinGc il
/ !ty ols0@rccim@ with him and giving him the
| cholit; but they never renew the dispute.
/ Daring The mating ScI>o1 thcr n@Al iu-
! rio&>ly. and have been found, after one "i
| tnl>c terrible nocturnal comba;s, dead on
! the shore with = lee or arm bitten of. ihc
| ic1n;.lcS pile up in III" swamp Il iuae- o! mG1t
may hatch i6r c. " i&& Il Iitl. HIS 1ul u hGH!
| savage. and Will attack anything. / friend
/ a.. al II a.
| ing on it rais"d out the eggs and employed
| himself by throwing them against ircc,
! much 10 the dvtrimcnt u thr Young, nil-
! hltghrd gaiiur~. Who had no, been consult
| ed. There Wa auctIcr party. however,
| Who thought that she had Il right 10 an
| opinion in III" matter. and that was the
| female alligator. \ rustic in ttc bushes, Il
rU,h, AID then 4 pair Of biz jaws. belonging
|" an ci@hteen-tno;er, we're heard snapu!n"
between ni> lees. She was :" mad that she
| nii>>cd her aim. and there was exhibited
! some Of the tallcst jumping, tumblinS, and
running, ever seen in Florida.
The female alligator will not allow The
male TO approach her nest; hc has s:iut-
tCnous habit OF eating all the eggs, and
thus noce>stating her laying more, which
she dUu't like. so whenever she catches
him II that ncjghborhood she thra>hes hm
on general PRINCIPLES: ne either has done
mischief or intends ii; IL any rate he Is
meddlinr in domestic matters. and deserves
snubbjng. | am told that il is really
amusing Ia see the big bully stick his tail
between his legs and sneak OF, the very
iula"c of a hcIi-peckcd husband after one OF
thc<r coniugal seedlings. lie is not mo-
del husband, yet he takes his thrashin@
kindly, and only revcnges himselfby watch
ing until the eg"S are really hNtched. and
then eating up a$ many OF the causes OF the
dispute as he can catch.
heard OF very few instances where they
attacked grown men. One ease where Il
man on horseback Crossing ford was
seized by the leg but when his dog plunged
in to follow, tie alligator left him to take
the more delicate mor>cl. in another iu-
stance, IN alligator struck At mul" pulling
q cart, and bit out two apokcs from one Of
the wheels, leaving Il tooth sticking in lS Il
memcnto Of his visit He hurried OIL with
quick speed; | suppose looking out for Il
dentist.
They arc fond Of dogs, pigs, and young
darEies. The dog j. Il special tayorite. The
lime Of the alligator Will be casiiy mis-
taken for that Of puppy, and may mislead
Il Young and inexperienced dog. y wise
Florida dog will rot 20 boldly down to the
water TO drink: he learns experience by
having been eaten once or twice. He will
creep down to moist place, tai down.
body crorched. eyes skinned, and ears Up,
pushing his paWs slowly before him, lap
ping the water without noise, and then
sneaking away again. | am told that lho
alligator has very iLtlc power to open his
jaws: 4 IWine string will hold them tightly,
but they come together with snap ami
strength like Il Stccl-trap.
His object is 10 seize his prey and slnk
with il 1T once and drown II, to be eater! III
leisure. They come ashore TO play, ana
always with the head towards the water,
that they may plunge in at once. This Is
the reason they can be shot 1T from q steam
boat. On warm day The creature will be
SO sound asleep IN tlc Sunshine that you
can sail near him and his astoniShmcnt
wien Il bail wakes him up, aud he fnds
boat full OF enemies alongside, Is sometimes
very ludicrouS.
The animal has his uses. ! heard one
lady complaining very much because some
travellers had killed her alligator. The
creature stayed in the swamp, near al hand,
and lived on frogs, snakes, young wildcats,
aud other yarmints, and thus earned his
board, TO say nothing of keeping young
children from straying about. lie IS much
abused, however, and is charged with all
the thcfts of live stock that occur, even
when the animal is Killed il the woods ana
the cntrails taken out and left.
The ewes are on the top of the head, and
il is curious TO see the creature swimming,
every bit of him under water except the
eye, which seems to float along OH the top,
looking out for something he can devottr.
The odor is so strong, so musky, that even
an Indian will hardly eat the flesh.
BEARS AND OTHER GAME.
In the large .swamps the bear is found
There is plenty of food Tor
him, and Of many kinds: yet he is~ very
fond Of hog, not knowing any Hebrew pro