New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-10
QUEER POINTS ABOUT ALLIGATORS.
ONE BAD HABIT WHICH THE REPTILE HAS fN3
HERITED-HUNTING IN FLORIDA

ONE BAD HABIT WHICH THE REPTILE HAS I'M
HERITED-HUNIING IN FLORIDA.
at was my first hunting trip in Florida and was
anxious to shoot an alligator; 80 snntched up my
gun before the camp was half made and wandered
along the bank OF the Indian River looking Tor one
Although / wanted big game, / did not despise thd
small, and carried d0ubebarrelled breechioadefs
one barrel OF which, threw ball and the other shot.
had a splendid retriever, too for which had pad
pretty sum and 1 expected him to earn his prico.
1T was not long before came upon little hocs
Of coots curious waterfowl, looking like cross
between a duck and hen. I fired into the nocH
and killed two. My dog dashed in after them ana
retrieving ono. brought 1t ashore. When he turned
TO go after the other, it was gone. / thought IL
strange and so did the dog evidently, for he swnn
all about, looking for it. suddenly he gave yeips
struggled violently for a moment In the water ane
then disappeared beneath the surface.
al had found my alligator. That thought struc4
me all at once. And he had found my expensive
dog and 1 did not like the meeting one little bit.
Not knowing how big the brute might be, ana having
had no experience OF alligatOrs anyway, fels
genuinely afraid to tackle this unseen, noiseess 100
and go to my dogs rescue Wading cautiously In,
leaped upon fallen tree which lay half in and halls
out OF the water q few yards from shore. ON tne
other side OF 1t the river became suddenly deep ana
here / could see my poor dog, held under water IN
the Jaws Of a good sized alligator, and slowly drown-
ing. The alligator taking things coolly. he "as
in no hurry. Nature had fitted him on purpose ia
drown animals In his Jaws, while he breathed Freely
In the air above. His nostris wero on top OF Ills
upper Jaw at the end and lie was thus able to Keep
them lust above the surface OF the water while my
dog was wholly immersed
Quick as a flash fired both barrels at him. Tho
bullet struck the water Just above his head ana
iicocheted rods and rods away; the shot KICKED up
q little ripple about him and that was all. He divcd
off Wit my /
either OF them again. That my first experience
with alligator.
1.-THE next one / met was lying basking in the sun
on a mud fat / crawled cautiously up withh gun.
shot and before firing, watched the curious creatures
! was astonished to a little plover settle on his
ugly head and began to pick, pick, PICK among inc
big brutes scales Thought l. MY little fellow, you VIII
be snapped up by those cruel jaws for your impert@
ncncc' Presently the plover got around to the aiil'
gaors nose, still picking picking. and the Dig Jaws
| began to open slowly. They opened about a 1oos
and to my surprise the little pover walked right inside
and began to pick vigorously than ever among
the horrd teeth. laughed 50 that the alligator tooH
alarm and waddled deep water; not without holds
ing his Jaws open long enough however, for the pover
| 10 come out Of his mouth and fly away.
afterward learned that this species Of plover
greedy eats the water leeches which astcn ON the ALL
gators gums and other pests which burrow under hs
scales and the big lizard will not hurt the bird SO
Any third gator sho; dead and Lad the pleas
ure of SHINING him. learned then how the brute can
hold It's mouth wide open under water without letunS
any go down its throat windpipc. There Is vavo
| in the back Of Its mouth which can be made to shut
of the mouth completely from the throat and rs inc
upper law lifts upward and the nostrils are on top Al
said before the creature breathe without showing
| anything above water but the tip OF Its nose.
| Everybody knows that an alligator Is well sup
| piled with teeth; but few know that the baby all-
gator is born with all its teeth In place. They aro
conical on top and hollow at the base The new ones
come up and shove their conical tops into the hollow
bases OF the old ones, gradually forcing them out.
This shedding and renewing OF teeth goes on all It's me-
Moreover, a baby alligator probably grows more IN
proportion, than any other animal IL comes out OK
a shell no bigger than a cOoseegg From the start
he has fear the cannibalistic appetite OF its father
same TREK for In the fossllzed bodies OF the male
plesosaurus have been found the fosslzed fragments
Of baby plesiosaur 81, IA,
MY fourth aud last alligator captured alive With
the aid OF a daring negro hunter by means OF u
squealing. hungry little pig tied TO tree sioru
way from the river bank. We c1tced n nne medium
sized alligator crawl up the bank and little way
into the grass after the succulcnt porker linen We
got between him and the river and with a singular
holiness and agility. my hunting companion jumped
astrde the back OF the scaly beast and beDdng down.
raspcd sho. fore legs IN each hand, and by
main strength dra gged them back and yanked them
upnn the agaors back. for all the world Ike cross
ing a mans arms behind him. In this undignlhed po
son the alligator fell forward on Its belly and throat
and could only lash its tail about In impotent rage
II was not hard tic 1t up after that, but 1t seemed
TO me Il dangerous way 70 monkey with "A gator.'