The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-09

as bulk is concerned, are rather superficial
than essential.
Precisely the same statement may be made
concerning alligators as Disseminated from
crocodies. Their fangs are not concealed in
sockets sunk in the upper jaw, the arrange
ment of their Cutane0us plates is not like that
found in animals of the Crocodilian group, and
the average size of Jacare nigra, the 0rnoco,
Central American and Mexican cayman is GER
tainly less than that of their Old World rela-
tives,
THE AsIAE AND AFRICAN CRoCoDILEs.
Apart from these dissimilarites, there remain
but technical traits by which the divisions lin
elusive of the Mississippi alligator) are sepa-
rated.
Turning now to the character and habits Of
these large saurians wo find that information
concerning them is at once large in quantity,
contradictory in tenor, and very incomplete.
Tho manner in which accounts present them
selves to the reader of books of travel and de-
scriptive zoology is this: Alligators do not eat
men or the larger animals, but crocodies do.
They are both man eaters occasionally. When
crocodiies wish to indulge in anthrOpophagy,
their method is to lie in wait under bank,
and sweep someone into the stream by blow
from the tail. They do nothing of the sort.
1t is their custom to conceal themselves in holes
near ford or bathing place, and make a rush
at any unfortunate who comes within reach.
Thore Is no truth whatever in either of the
former statements, as witness a number of per-
sons who have disported themselves in waters
swarming with the biggest and ugliest of sau-
rians. As with regard to these particulars so
with respect to all. The animals, or one of
them at least, has been defed and embalmed,
but the writer is not aware that anyone has
systematically observed their habits So far,
however, as attacking men goes the author is
personally cognizant of two cases in which the
cayman destroyed human beings, and on this
account sees no reason to doubt those stories of
Inglis, Drummond, ETC.. in which the destruc-
tiveness of Asiatic and African CrOcOdilia is
displayed. Everyone knows that large sauri-
ans lie on the mud and sun themselves, and
that unless shot dead, which is difficult to ae-
complish, not from any
IMpENErRABILITY OBJ THEIR SKIN DEFENsEs,
which riae-ball will pierce easily, but be-
cause they have great tenacity of life and small
brains, they invariably manage to reach the
wafer and die there. Equally general is the
knowledge that they bury their eggs and leave
them to be hatched by solar heat. Also that the
trochylus (or Charadrius ngypticus, as it is
now caliedJ attends the crocodile like other
birds do the elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, ETC.,
for the sake of their parasites, upon which they
feed, and that these animals are often warned
OF tho hunters approach by their cries. Every
hihh 0 hahu 10 1RdEbSt ouCu EGpbiAtSs hua
bers of enemies destroy their eggs and young
also, so that in some places-as, for example,
the waters of tho Gulf States-their numbers
have sensibly diminished.
Fish, and small aquatic or semiaquatic ami
mails, or any creature they can kill, is eaten by
crocOdiles and alligators, and there seems to be
little doubt that they are carrion- eaters by
preference. Reliable observation shows that
dead bodies floating on the streams they inhabit,
or contiguous to them, are constantly consum-
aud it seems to DO certain that prey killed
by themselves is commonly kept till it putrifes
and the body thus becomes more easily dismem-
bered. The whole character Of the digestive
tract indicates that their food Ia bolted, and on
many occasions the contents of dead crocodile's
stomach have beon found to be A incongruous as
those Of sharks. Like all other animals the
saurians in question become restless and ex-
cited III tho pairing season, believing much at
this period, and frequently threatening attack.
Ii Is by no means unusual to witness such
demonstrations, but there Is no record, so far
as the writer's knowledge goes, of their having
proceeded to extremties either agsinst armed
men on shore or in boats.
ITO be coRtfuuedl