San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-10-23
ALL1aAToRs AS FARM STOCK

The Florida Supply of Wild Saur-
ians May Soon Be Unequal
to the Demand.
The attention of the United
States Fish Commission has been
called recently to new and re-
markable industry, namely, the
artificial propagation Of alligators.
For supplying the trade in Florida
curiosities there is large demand
for young reptiles of this kind.
In Jacksonville, which is the centre
of the traffic, from 5000 to 10000
alligators are sold to tourists an
naully-nearly all of them baby
ones. The latter are collected liz
considerable numbers by profes.
sional hunters, who receive for
them from 500 to $25 a hundred.
Some Of them are disposed of alive
at retail, but many are stuffed.
An infant alligator stuffed is worth
% cents more than a live one.
Saurians six to twelve feet long
fetch from $l2 to SIS.
The difficulty of securing young
alligators in sufficient numbers
has led to the establishment of
the strange business described.
To find the nests of these reptiles
is comparatively easy, and the
eggs are shipped in bulk by the
hunters to Jacksonville. In that
city there are twelve dealers in
alligators, the best known of them
being a man who has earned the
sobriquet of "Alligator Davis.
1t was he who originated the in
cubator system, which is simple
enough. The eggs, about the size
OF goose eggs, are placed in boxes
Of sand and covered up. The boxes
are exposed on roof to the torrid
rays Of semi-tropical sun, and in
a few days the lizards are Matched.
They are six inches or so in length
when they make their first appear
ance in the world. Some of them
are killed as soon as they see
daylight.
A species of true crocodile is
found in Southern Florida on both
coasts. 1t is hardly distinguish
able from the alligator. except by
the shape of its head, though it
grows bigger, attaining length of
eighteen feet. DR.. Hugh M. Smith,
Of the Fish Commission, says that
young crocodiles are Matched for
the market in the same fashion.
The mother crocodile lays her eggs
in sand like turtle, and simply
covers them over. Somewhat
different is the practice of the
maternal alligator, who, in April
or May, seeks sheltered spot on
a bank, and there builds small
mound.
The foundation of the mound
is of mud and grass, and on this
she lays eggs. She covers the eggs
with another stratum of grass
and mud, upon which she deposits
some more eggs. Thus she proceeds
until she has laid from 100 to 200
eggs.
The eggs, in the course of time,
are Matched by the sun, assisted
by the heat which the decomposi-
ton of the vegetable material
generates. AS soon as they have
"chipped the shell" the baby alli-
gators are led to the water by the
mother, who provides them with
food which she disgorges, showing
much anxiety for their safety. AT
this early period Of their existence
they are exposed TO many dangers,
being favorite prey of fishes and
turtles. Alligators' eggs, by the
way, are sometimes eaten by the
Florida crackers. The robbing of
the nests for market Is helping to
hasten the inevitable destruction
of the alligator fishery, which has
been an important and profitable
industry in Florida. Facts recent
ly gathered by the Commission
show that the reptiles cannot long
escape Practical determination.
Already they are becoming scarce,