Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-29

Whatever they take, they frequently hold
it in their mouths for hours, or even days.
before swallowing it. No doubt this is
practice acquired in their wild state to en-
able them to drown their prey when it is
too large or powerful for them to kill at once.
We notice remarkable provision of nature
to admit of this. The air passages by which
they breathe through the nose are tunneled
through the bone right to the back of the
head, and this allows them to 90 on breathing
without interruption while the mouth is full
and under water
The openings of the nostrils are close to-
gether at the top of the snout and the two
eyes are raised like couple of lookout boxes
on the upper surface, too; and as the ear
openings are close to these the animal can
breath. see and hear, while all the rest of it
Is below the surface of the water, with little
danger of being detected
In very. young specimens the hinder open
lngs OF these air-passages from the nose
through the bone is not nearly so far back as
in grown-up ones, but then they live on fish
at home which do not require holding down
Just couple of bites and they are bolted.
Big ones, however, prey more on animals
which they catch as they come to drink, and
these are often too strong to be overpowered
by the pressure of the jaws alone.
They are said to be especially partial to
dogs, but I don't know whether this is true
or not. / suspect the idea arises partly from
the fact that dogs are more apt to go into the
water than other animals, and partly because
dog is pretty certain to be missed. All
| creatures probably prefer small food-that
which is most readily caught and swallowed
| to large.
We hear of pythons and anacondas swal-
lowing antelopes and oxen, and possibly they
do, sometimes, but ] think that in their native
jungles and forests they live for the most part
on such sized animals as rabbits or ducks. /
am sure they do best on these in confinement
The bog in which I have my present spec=
mems is, think. very suitable one for ordi
nary purposes; but you would naturally adapt
your cage to the place and circumstances un-
der which it was to be kept. 1t is made of
well-seasoned white pine. Any wood which is
not as tough as steel will warp like a leaf in
less than a week: It is four feet long (any
alligator being about eighteen inches) and
fifteen inches broad, by one foot high; the
front is of plate glass nothing thinner would
stand the .whacks of his tail; and the top
forms the lid, hinged at the back perforated
fastened in front with couple of ordinary
split rings, such as are used for keys. passing
through two brass eyes.
This is kind of bolt which I strongly
recommend to you in dealing with animals,
and especially reptiles, which create so much
Ialarm by their escape and are often SO diff
cult to find again. 1t cannot get out of or
der or be shaken loose, and, moreover, an
insecure fastening cannot be overlooked, as
is sometimes the case with an illsprung latch,
or even lock or bar: the ring must either be
honestly on or off.
zinc tank or tray, three inches deep, fills
the entire floor of the box. fitting accurately,
but capable of being lifted out when it is
necessary to change the water; and NOV
able shelf two inches and half wide. rests
on the rim of this tank at the back. so that
he can climb out when he waists to stroll,
which I have never seen him do yet.
When the water wants changing (about
once month";. take him out and have the