Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-09-19
EvoLurIoE IN TEE AQUARIUM.
Aliigators Born near the Tank Of tho Hell
bsndsrs and the Wyoming Axolotls.
IN. Y. SUM-

N. Y. SUM-
At last that patient man and
persevering scientist, DR.. Dorner,
has succeeded in Matching out
young alligators from eggs brought
fi0m the Crescent City. Thirty
five baby alligators cracked their
tough shells and crept out to the
Hight Of day in the New YORK
Aquarium yesterday morning. By
the time this report reaches the
readers of the Sun twelve more
will probably be Matched.
The thirty-five that have come
out OF their shells are lively and
strong and far more active in pro-
portion to their size than alliga'ors
Of full growth-from twelve to fif
teen feet long-and they are much
prettier. They are eight and a
half inches in length from the end
Of their noses to the tips of their
taiIs, aud are of a dark, very dark
greenish brown color, irregularly
barred around the body and tail,
and splashed and shotted on the
head with gold color.
Chow did you make this hatch,
DR.. Dornei?' was asked. He re-
piled:
II put Into a large and deep box
two feet of hay, then on that two
inches OF fresh horse dung. In this
l placed the eggs and covered them
with two feet more OF hay. Every
day l sprinkled the hay with wa
ter. found that the first eggs
attempted to hatch had been kept
too dry. The albumen dried up
aud the embryo alligators died"
"How came ynu to change your
plan with these?"
"The eggs from which these were
hatcbed were bought of a man in
New Orleans who makes business
Of hatching the eggs TO sell the
young ones to Northern visitors,
who, Of all things, prefer 10 take
home . young alligator with them
a. souvenir of their Winter In
the sunny South. This man had
had these eggs incubating abou'
four weeks, when he started them
BY steamer to the Aquarium. We
received them OH tile 9th OF Aug
ust, and rs this is the 9th of Sep
tember, 1t seems that it takes be-
tween ten and eleven weeks to in.
cubate the eggs OF allIgators."
ibid you turn these eggs over?"
DR.. Dorner laughipgl-"No, /
did not"
"Hsve you fed these young alli-
gators?n
mo, nor do I think they will
fs.AA 81 IN, .
but will try them with dead flies,
worms, aud bits Of raw flesh "
ibid you make good hatch?
Were there no added eggs or deaG
embryos?"
mo, not one. put thirty-six
- % into this batch, and here ar.
ttlirty- flve yound alligators aud as
many shells"
He exhibited both. "And here
IL ihs thirty sixth"
He uncovered pan In which was
~ alligator egg shell. A young,
Ialf-hatched. cut open, but sill |
! wing young alligator. II cut this
Q open and wounded the ulIiga-
{ ,r IN this half-hatched condition |
~ stop all increduli.y in regard to |
thsee alligstors having been
hstched here. Some persons would |
have said we had brought them
from New Orleans. Have you seen
the Wyoming axolotls?"
s.NO."
ssCome this way"
And he led the way to tank IN
which the pollywog-Iike creatures
lay along with number of hell.
bendere. They, are the prettiest
specimens OF all the eft or new
Tribe, the crawling batrachians, or
gradientia of nai uralists.
ssHow long have you had these
'sllows ~
"About two weeks, aud since
hoy have arrived one has evoluted
to spotted salamander,
= land animal. Its gills have dis
|ppeared, aud IL does not breathe
lnder water. 1t stays most Of the
line on . stone in the tank above,
yofer, and breathes altogether from
NJ a11nosphere."
p II not the case that all polly