The Evening critic., 1883-05-03
SWALLOWING sAuRIANs.
The Remarkable Feat of Two Flori-
dians of the Genus Rnpa.

dtans OF the Genus Rama.
Some time ago the officials of the United
States Fish Commission imported two large
frogs and two young allgators from
Florida and placed them in large glass
tank together, where they could enjoy life
and relate to each other pleasant remin-
niscences Of their native land. The quartet
seemed to be contented with their new
home in the Capital City, and ran around
and crawled over each other with the
blissful happiness and innocence of so
many well-fed babes who basked in the
sunshine of kindness and parental af-
fection.
Tho Fish Commission boys were kind
and attentive to the new comers and spared
no pains to procure for them inner-man
delicacies and other things calculated to
make their stay in Washington agreeable.
Contrary to expectations the change north
ward increased the appetites Of the Flori-
dians and both alligators and frogs ate
their regular meals with vim, and re-
quired frequent lunches between regular
meals to check their voraciousness and pre-
vent an oatburst of croaking, squalling and
scufiling. The frogs being more advanced
in years than their companions ate heartier
and from being lank and lean on their ar
rival they grew fat.
Matters went on in this way for weeks,
and the domestic relations of the imported
parties were all that the officials or the most
exacting could desire. Contentment reign
ed supreme, and cross words and contentious
between the young alligators and their fat
bed-fellows never occurred. In fact, the
latter being older, and considering that
they were from the same State and Con-
gressional District, took deep interest ia
the miniature "gaters," and cheerfully
divided with them the delicacies Of the
season and endeavored to teach them the
routine and etiquette of every day life.
Lately the attaches of the Fish
Commission have been less attentive
to the babes of the everglades They be-
came reckless about the meal hours, and the
food, instead of being plentiful and sump
tuous, became scanty and very unsatisfac-
tory in quality and get-up. Bad treatment
and neglect first began to show on the frogs.
They rapidly grew thin and the wistful ex-
preston about their eyes showed that they
were tired of Capital city life and longed
again for nocturnal ramble over the
swampy lands of their native State, where
insect delicacies were abundant and mush-
rooms easy to procure. The new state of
affairs began to tell on the dispositions of
the alligators also scanty meals, served at
rare intervals, made them cross and vicious
and assaults and fights were of daily occur
renee. A house-ny captured by one side
or the other was always the signal for bat
tie, and the infant alligators were generally
beaten.
Several times in the presence Of persons
attempts were made by the frogs to quickly
gulp down their weaker neighbors, but
even their known propensity for fresh
meat and the large size of their eating tun-
nels created no alarm among the officials,
for they thought the alligators were large
av,I 1a- 30 NoI-
selves.
Last Sunday morning one of the alliga-
tors was missing, but after a vigorous search
among the rocks, shrubbery and small
grottoes arranged in the tank, the officials
concluded that the Floridian was stolen by
one of the visitors to the building and made
no further effort to find him. They did
not notice the wonderfully increased corpu-
pulency of one of the frogs. This morning the
other alligator could not be found, and the
righteous indignation of Prof Bairds men
knew no bounds; they swore that no more
thieving visitors should be allowed In the
building. Another search in the tank
showed that frog No. 2 had also obtained
his former corpulency, but unlike his
shrewder companion, he had failed to con-
ceal the cause of his size. One inch of
the tail of the last young alligator was
plainly seen wiggling between his capacious
jaws and, after vigorous squeeze, he
was made to disgorge his badly-fright-
ened meal. The young alligator was full
of life, and on his release he ran away at q
lively rate of speed. The cause of the cor
pulency and contentedness in the other
frog was then plain. An examination of
his bowels showed that the body of the
other young alligator was already nearly
digested. The officials Of the commission
have decided to keep frogs and alligators
separate hereafter.