Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-07-13


Tlorida--How Ailigators Make Land on
the Bonnet Lakes"
Several years ago l passed the winter
studying birds and mammals near Gaines
Vile, Fla. Among my especial desiderata
were singular little round tailed musk
rat, known as neohber, which had previous
~ been found only on the Indian river, and
peculiar semiaquatic hare. Aresident OF
the region suggested that these animals
might be found on the floating islands OF
"Bevan's Arm" This ARM" branch OF
Alachua lake, Is what is known In Florida
rs bonnet lake" The name will be ia
miliar to any one who has visited Florida,
for bonnet lakes" are abundant through
out the state Imagine a lake so thickly
covered with a growth of pond lilies that
the water shows only in occasional patches.
The lilies are both of the yellow and the
white variety, but the former are by far
the larger and more numerous. Some
leaves measure IS inches in diameter, and
the stems of many project nearly two feet
above the surface of the lake. The water Is
sometimes 10 or 90 feet in depth and in the
clearer spaces much deeper. 1t Is filled
with many species of aquatic plants IN
which one's oars become entangled, and
these, added to the abundance of lily leaves
or "bonnets," make rowing difficult and
tiresome matter.
In one of the open spaces near the center
of the Arm" which was here about half
a mile in width, were the islands There
were several Of them, irregularly circular
in shape and varying in diameter from
about 10 to nearly so feet. They were dense
ly grown with reeds and grasses OF many
species, and In some places tall, faglike
sedges and button baskets grew.
TO a naturalist floating islands possess a
strong fascination. The animals that in
habit them seem TO belong TO sphere OF
their own. The isolation Of their island
home affords them protection from main
land enemies, and this is doubtless why an
finals are so abundant on the islands In the
Arm" Certain it is have never seen a
bit of ground of similar extent so densely
populated.
Rowing slowly out through the bon
nets" was greeted by chorus Of frog
like gruntings, which seemed to issue from
under every lily leaf. 1t was made by young
allgators The Arm" was a nursery for
them. They were Of all sizes, from little
fellows or inches in length, born the
preceding summer, TO fully grown adults
measuring 10 feet or more. The smaller
ones are found in schools, families per-
haps. Occasionally, to sun themselves,
they crawl upon lily leaves floating on the
surface of the water, making as ideal pic
lures of lazy contentment as one can well
imagine. The larger leaves will support
the weight of an alligator feet in length.
One Of the larger islands was my daily
resort for nearly two weeks, and will con-
q RI IA history n
ticular island, speaking first Of the life upon
it, then of its probable origin.
Ny landing was made and my boat beach
ed" in a unique manner The island was two
TO three feet In thickness, and foated in wa
ter from 10 to 20 feet in depth. AS stepped
from my canoe onto its edge it sunk slowly
beneath my weight, and stepping back
ward I could thus draw the floating canoe
after me, but as / advanced toward the
center Of the island the shore rose, and the
canoe was lifted from the water by this
kind of natural drydock.
Progress now was very much like walk
ing on cracked or partially melted ice
Where the grass grew thickly there was q
firm footing. but the spaces between the
little hillocks were treacherously soft. Tt
fall through an island would no doubt be 6
novel experience, but one that the expert
menter would doubtless never attempt
again.
Although none of the residents were visi
ble it required but glance to show thai
this island was thickly populated.
Broad avenues entered and left the water
There was a network of roads, pathway
and trails leading to grassy nests we'll hid
den at the base of a hillock, or TO under
ground tunnels with entrances half CLOSED
with mud. Close inspection showed tn,
tracks of many feet AS ! walked care
fully about this city-for IL was nothing
less-I felt like a Brobdingnag in Lilli
put. While the place was apparently de
serted, knew that the inhabitants wer
all at home. With them it was night, ant
my presence was doubtless causing many
heart near me to beat with unaccustomet
rapidity.
Many species of birds occasionally use,
the island as a nesting place There wer
white herons and blue bitterns, ducks an
Others.
= To return now to the history of these Is
lands and the part alligators play in build
ing them. These gigantic lizards love {
lie in the soft mud at the bottom of lakes
and they carefully select such places 4
which to hibernate during the colde
months.
Now, If one could see bonnet" lax
ITOln MnlCn luC MolCl hdb blooPPOoACbt
would be noticed that its bottom is a net
work of interlacing lilypads. The root
are as large as mans arm, and it wi
be readily seen how they would prevent
large alligator from snugly nesting in tn
oozy mud. The alligator, therefore, pr
lpares his bed by biting and pulling OF
these roots, and they come floating to tn
surface showing plainly the marks of h
teeth, to form the framework of futul
island
Every stage of its growth could be sse
in the Arm" Numbers of these roo
float together and form kind Of raft.
scum collects about it. dust settles upon
and the whole soon looks like sheet
mud which undulates with the waves, 4
~ becomes firmer n small plant, always
the same species, makes its appearance, e
tirely covering the island, and growing
evenly that one might suppose It's seed ht
been carefully sowed by hand. Later stag
are now merely questions of time, but 1t
,probably only few years before the roo
torn from, the he'd of the lake by the alliQ