Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-10-26
ALLIGATOR ISLANDS.
QUEER FLOATING HOMES OF AMI
MAILS, BIRDS AND REPTILES.
4 Gentleman In Search of knowledge Wis
its One Of These Interesting Places In
Florida-How AlIigators Make Land ON
the "BOnnet Lakes"


Florida-How AIIigators Make Land ON
the "Bonnet Lakes"
Several years ago l passed the winter
,tudying birds ard mammals near Gaines
vile, Fla Among my especial desiderata
we're "a singular little round tailed musk |
rat, known as neofber, which had previous
Is been found only on the Indian river, and
peculiar semiaquatic hare. \ resident 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
as bonnet lake" Tie name will be IA
miliar TO any one who has visited Florida,
for "bonnet lakes" are abundant through
out the state Imagine lake so thickly
covered with 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 wateris
sometimes 10 or 20 feet in depth and in the
clearer spaces much deeper. II Is filled
with many species of aquatic plants il
which ones oars become entangled, and
these, added to the abundance OF lily leaves
or "bonnets," make rowing difficult and
tresome matter.
In one of the open spaces near the center
of the Arm" which was here about half
mile in width, were the islands. There
were several of them, irregularly circular
in shape and varying in diameter from
about 10 to nearly 80 feet. They were dense
" grown with reeds and grasses Of many
species, and in some places tall, haglike
sedges and button baskets grew.
To a naturalist floating islands possess
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. twas 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, 70 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-
sne my account to the history of this par
ticular island, speaking first of the life upon
it, then of its probable origin.
Nv landing was made and my boat beach
edn in unique manner. The island was two
70 three feet in thickness, and floated in wa
ter from l. 20 90 feet in depth. AS stepped
from my canoe onto its edge it sunk slowly
beneath my weight, and stepping back
ward 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 &
firm footing, but the spaces between the
little hillocks were treacherously soft. IL
novel experience, but one that the expert
menter would doubtless never attemp
again.
; Although none Of the residents were visi
bic. it required but a glance to show tina
this island was thickly populated.
Broad avenues entered and left the water
There was a network of roads, pathway
! and trails leading 10 grassy nests well bid
= den at the base of a hillock, or TO under
? ground tunnels with entrances half close'
with mud Close inspection showed tn
tracks of many feet. As | walked care
fully about this city-for it was NOTHING
D less-I felt like a Brobdingnag in Lilli
put. While the place was apparently dc
- serted, knew that the inhabitants wer
= all at home With them it was night, an
my presence was doubtless causing many
= heart near me 70 beat with unaccustome
r 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 70 the history Of these i
: lands and the part alligators play IN buiic
: ing them These gigantic lizards love
1t lie in the soft mud at the bottom of Lakes
and they carefully select such places /
, |
!, months.
- Now, if one could see a "bonnet" lax
from which the water had disappeared,
would be noticed that its bottom is "A ne
-, work of nterlacing lilypads. The root
" are as large as a mans arm, and it vi
y be readily seen how they would prevent
n large alligator from snugly nesting in Il
oozy mud. The alligator, therefore, pr
pares his bed by biting and pulling OF
I, these roots, and they come floating 70 q
"a surface, showing plainly the marks of h
N teeth, to form the framework of a futu
n island.
Every stage Of its growth could he SET
I'm 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. :
n il becomes firmer a small plant, always
We the same species, makes its appearance, e
~ tirelv covering the island, and growing
r. evenly that one might suppose its seed Ina
,e 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 bed of the lake by the al *