Los Angeles herald., 1891-01-02
A BUSINESS IN ALLIoAToRs.
The Chief Differences Between That
Beast and the Big Crocodile.

The Chief Differences Between That
Beast and the Big Crocodile.
To gain ones daily bread by means of
alHgators must be at all times fairly
rkecarious method Of existence, and yet
the colored man Of Florida does manage
to pick up many an honest penny by
means Of the American saurian. The
taxidermist finds, too, in the alligator
his opportunity; and though ten foot
gator never can be very desirable, even
when stuffed, little gators properly pre-
pared and mounted are in good demand,
and are brought home in quantity by
the northern tourist.
We need not find fault with nature.
and tax her with having sighted us in
the crocodileans. II in India there is
the gavial, in Egypt there is the croco-
die, and in America the alligator and
the cayman. It can hardly be questioned
but that we have on this continent both
the crocodile and the alligator. The
main point Of difference, according to
Mr.. Hornaday, between the crocodile
and the alligator is as follows: IA croco-
die is distinguished by a triangular
head, Of which the snout is the apex, a
narrow muzzle and canine teeth in. the
lower jaw. which pass freely upward in
the notches in the side of the upper;
whereas the alligator (also cayman or
sacare) has a broad, fat muzzle, and the
canine teeth of the lower jaw fit into
sockets in the under surface Of the upper
jaw"
The business of collecting the skins Of
alligators has already somewhat di1nin-
ished the quantity Of these saurians in
certain parts Of Florida, but they are
still to be found in large numbers fur
ther inland. It is barely supposable that
alligators ever will become extinct in
Florida while those vast interior lakes
and swamps exist. A visit paid by
naturalist to Florida was convincing
that alligators were still very abundant
To kill an alligator, however, is by no
means as difficult as to secure him.
The gators bask in the sun on the long
stretches Of sand, but they are never
quite asleep. They always seem to be
on their guard. and repose never very
far from the water. with their heads
pointing in the direction of fight.
Gathering eggs requires some skill, be-
cause the saurian mother has a clever
way Of hiding her trail. Sometimes az
many as forty eggs are found in a nest
Q few inches below the level. It is not
the invariable habit of the mother to
pack into the nest decayed vegetable
matter in order to add to the heat. Gen
orally the warmth of the sun is sufi-
cient.
The eggs have slight musky flavor,
and an experiment once made with an
omelette Of alligator eggs suffices. To
eat gator is unknown, and endeavors in
this direction have never been repeated.
Mr.. Hornaday tells, however, of having
eaten the South American variety, where
the feed was fish. and declares ''that the
desh was white, tender, free from all
disagreeable musky odors and toothsome
as the incest roast veal"
1t is with due consideration of the
size of the alligator as to whether you
will take seat on him or not. His Jaws
are not SO much to be dreaded as a lash
Ky, massa! you no wantee fres' 'gato,
dis mornin'?' is about the cry of the
vender Of baby alligators in Jacksonville
as he plunges his hand into bucket
swung on one arm and hauls out little,
ugly, squirming, swapping monster.
These little gators may have been found
by their owner just emerging from their
nests, or he may have secured them as
eggs and Matched them out himself. The
infant saurians show their natural in
stinct early and will bite at once.
An alligator is q queer pet, and to
tame an adult seems to be quite impos-
Eble. If intelligence is proportioned to
bulk Of brain that Of the alligator is es-
pecially small. In dissecting large sized
alligator the brain substance will barely
fill an egg cup. We are not to look
upon gator as capable Of any attach
ments. When young (after having had
some Of their teeth drawn) they are oc-
casionally seen about houses. s.-Harper's
Weekly.