, 1879-01-22
THE ALLIGATOR

Vito Ltves and Dies in tho Lakes and ntvors
Of Ftorlda-A Creature With Carlontty and
aQutck Enr-1Eow lilo Takes His Prey.
boston C6rsr,erctd' 7aHtnn Later.
An alligator moves mucl, easier 10 straight
line than any otlIer; II attacked by oho It is n
good plan. 10 case Of danger, to run in circle;
thls confuses a,'l delays the creature, md much
increases The chances Of escapc. 3uk few cases
OF injury to 1nen or domestic animats by Morlda
ailigntors are OIL record or kuown, 80 fnr as l
could toaln. Men, women, mud children hare
little Or no fcar of hen. ut least Of uo1c except
tic larHest- They nro attacked mud killed. In
9ycry direction and III all nanucrs, usually be.
ing left prey to tho buzzarls nI.l other feeders
upon earrion. They do not decay rapidly, even
In the hot sun, their thick skins reI1cll!nR tllv
ncaks ot buzzarls at first, Asd tl,cir tough nbrcs
lighting dissolution ut ovcrS stage. \
VIVA much impressed With tho alligator. liz
seemed 70 mo an object worth study and Oh
acrvatlou. had not happcucd to CONS across,
In my reading of natural history. sufficiently
CLEAR accounts OF him, a,nl, while IL Florida,
lost no opportunity, oi cleaning Information
frutn uny source likely 70 prove correct thnt
would throw light upon hts structure Or hablts
Tliu fenaie huiids her nest In thu spring Of tbs
year; sl.e snnkes 1t Of mud unl leaves, oankfng
u up y sotno secluded space open to the sun,
lcposittnE l'cr c3gs Il, laycra. leaving them IL
hnte!! by tic lcat sngendercd by fermentation
added to tlat Ut the snI,.
Eggs to tho number of 100 hayo bcen found
IN tncae nests; their shells arc quito harti, tu
shape they 0re elongated somewhat III cotupaf-
tsoti with a hen's eE., md buth ends aro more
nearly alike. In siz0 they arc uaaaliY ahovu
taoss OF turkey. The young break the shell
n homo In sitailow watct, where they
arc pas.inlly prulcc1ed ulia cared for by
lhc female paroat, until grown Of certain size,
when tlry are obl!ge1 u look out t9r them
u uical Of ulc.n. Thu 1nalG parent is always
fond VI young alligator, anu, Il II wcro not Tor
tI,e lnolller's protection. the alligator ccnsu4
would le small Indeed.
rl!e little fellows afo ycry lively, and their
hcaus have queer resemblance Ia expression
to that Of tpll-luE. Tsey.tto about dix it,rles
long on thtir rrtrst arrival, un1 aru in color
blaek, speckled With regular siashcs Of dirty
growth is difficult to ascertain. They cali remasn
dormant Tor long periods. mud call live Without
food an Incredible length Of tine. At thu
alternating seass'n they sotnct.nes swattuw
piuc-knoss, Or even stones, pruually ior tbs pur.
posc Ut keeping their stosiachs distenled, uNl
lisEorgo un resllnllnE moro actlyu altc. h4yo
scen alligatora oE VII aIxcs, from sx inches to Ut
least fourteen fees ia length. with correspond
lug weight. but nothing IL KNOWN whereby their
aXe might DO approximately determined.
The nutubes ur lenetl Ut tlmes when growth
has beGtl suspended Icing unknown. rendcrx the
ptobletn Of agc onc Of difficult solution. be-
iicvu they ,ayl i chance to grow nj ton3 as ttcy
live, uila that t!sey ltye, II n layurabIa eirrun.
stalires, aud aTu lot one, an incredible nuulbcr
of years. Why should ll'erc 1u nasural pcrtod
to usctr existencei They SHED thrar teeth every
year; no nattef ho'F 'ar.e The anifftai Is tito
sarnu pfuccsa ~ ever going on, q new t0uth Is
always cunning forward tu supplant the old.
llrY east their outwald skln, Nlnl arc fouud
sparkling In hsrs brightness alter the old skin
!. thrown. even when ulry are of tie very Iargsst
Sly.
No dead allsators arc seen save those de-
stroycu by vtoc.lcu; there Ia nothing That feeds
upoil them except hi their uiansy; they 70 III,
OH. Ut, the Erlstiy scales Ut titctf y0uttu ysals
turning III ttula tu plates ua hard Us tvury, tetr
little tvctA changing trum time to tft,lc until
they aro Us large ~ tn4n's thumb: years cs'lnc
aud 70, aua, ussl"'lletily. senturIt,s CONC atl
on, I-ogd knuus TOW lonr, cvcry year bcys,,utn.
l.use llduous IN ys4a.e. almt butter calculated tO
tnlprtss tllc tgl1oraut With sulrrltious uwe.
ii!stu Is tesisus, dItlleult tn describe, that
cosies Gfer Que while 'ieaf a i've aifnsator; tt1c
!ntu,sisY Vt BIZ cazc, II lus eyes aru opcn; tbs
sleepy wise, tl!a alcepY cunning of his rxpress-
sus, fheu Als eYes arc e!s5oea,- ,-ha seems TO
know who you aIe nisd what you asc thinking
Of; liz secl.'a to hc conscious ot some secret
power tycr you: The state Of tlahtllY quiet hu
aAstIt'.es has = s1rurgu faactnattun,-thfs, wliua
lit ts u.sou land, sirctclcA Gclurs you. ln llu
Massr liz II ssa., alert. The huuser tstovsng ID
hfs b!at ut0u tlIo glassy wntert will scc just
raised above tho suriueu 1fsc bright cyu mn! lh,
cxtseuo tip of tr black nose ii tic alligator;
th.ae nake two well dcllncd points, tic eYe be-
ina ntac4. stse largest. e ai'4eatofs ara panty,
l!c hltatrF Or hsutEs1lan SEGA tltsg paints tlr
anu llCar, around HIN. II hc a:arEoarea one Ut
trse curious amph!hsous scslt!l.rls, NJ, Partisan
Cnllant eAn make more gracalll rcttrlaR bow
tnan ~ given the tscupaut Of th9 b02t. The
al.lEutoE !ne!lues Ills hcad with an inctEab!s
grace, Alnks wttltuut t!te slightest ripple. I'm!
seen,. to say. Farewell! sweet friend, adIsul
tut GGfits HKasH,'
,.,tth Al
water, II visited IN t1elr turn. The uua,.nan
will au.i hlrAscit urE0uhde1 by alslgatafs, tu a
noEnrnt lllry urs Eone; ha waits, Or he whistles;
w eoa'B tl'e Acaas lgail', a1.t Il l'c wsE'cs to
sS % u II .s ss eys' - s % pu% % sfisa. it u IL ks III
dues not glussce, bull strike. u t!.e brain, tls
alligator, with wnlsi, throws himself on his
back unl silks vt onec, l!isyt'ap never to rue
aa4u, but II hc cunles up le ls unccliatu iu 4ta
movements, ulul the huntrr H. lsluga apt u losp
shau u Kst him. Thousands KILLED iIt tilia way
rut Ut tllu bot1uAs u uls lakex 4.lul rivers vi
Florida. lilsre vns u tlme When ll,sir s9Eus
iut1 hools mud travelling bugs, bur sllls !cat.yr
~ not now 10 tash!uuabe, Ml.u Tho alfgAiufa arc
dsstuE1su le*a tnan iortutrly. II Is not III ca.y
task u sktn Que, a,l to tan nlc lllc 10 ~ to
treteEva llle characteristics atMl tutor II, b.-
Aeye, allnoss impossible. | would have been
glad af SKIN sauuea IL this saxuuer. bus luupu
tlie atte!npt would bo rx!cL4.Ye, with psoba-
l'lltr 1l Ut unsatisfactory reauit.
Packrd III all!GAtur'e le1 in salt, aad aftes =
wceA Or 81 taok Il uus, iAtct,,lln, to 1epaek ~;
Il looked ~ freAl to the e.e a. when drst put
away, but y Altsht hauiltog removed the oGtcr
sktu, the uDis lhiox cared tu pfcssrye, AUD
lclt tbs leg ysilh = soft, bsaAlltul ekiu like q
baby's. whieh reiatac1 ali tAe markings ot llsu
outaidu covering. An alli.atos's hraa bears a
strung rcsea,hlansc tn snaps tu Ill o.utnAsy
rouNl-toed shoe without Tie heel. TIL. rrsr.,i-
blalscs y very luaEhrl iu allgstoEs Of medium
slxc. The eyts arr elo.o together Oh vital cor.
Fesponds to the lnstcp of thc shoe, willie tile
osttiIs arc al tue rxtEetnt eud utll 4up Vi what