THE GUIDE TO X \TlkK. 



that is, from September to May or 

 June. Even fish of which they are 

 very, very fund do not tempt them. 

 In May or June as the first hlue-bottle 

 flies fly lazily about in the sunshine 

 I catch a few and tempt my alligators. 

 After snapping up one or two I know 

 that the}* will require mure solid food 

 in a few days, and so I try them from 

 time to time. Little alligators relish 

 angle worms most; these you wi.1,1 

 have to dig in the garden and you will 

 be surprised to find how many he will 



first or the}- may inflict serious bites- 

 The aim mni of food and the frequency 

 with which he will eat will depend 

 upon the weather; the hotter the day 

 the larger his appetite; and if very 

 hot he may eat more than once. After 

 he gets real tame he will notify you 

 when he wishes to eat by coming to- 

 wards you and by calling. They hav- 

 ing a peculiar call or bellow. He also 

 gets very restless when he is hungry. 

 Always remember alligator's fond- 

 ness for flies, for he will enjoy them 



'I HAVE TWO ALLIGATORS 



WHICH I HAVE RAISED AND OBSERVED FOR ELEVEN 

 YEARS." 



eat. After a few years he will refuse 

 the worms and then you had best feed 

 him on meat, raw beef being best. 

 Cut this into strips resembling earth- 

 worms as much as possible. At first 

 alligator may not like this change in 

 his diet, but he soon takes the meat 

 and enjoys it. Then occasionally to 

 change his food, you can give him 

 fish. But if you feed fish too fre- 

 quently he will insist on it and refuse 

 the meat. Cockroaches are another 

 article he will enjoy very much. As 

 the alligator gets larger he will eat 

 mice and rats; these had best be killed 



even after he gets very large. 



Never prod him or poke him with a 

 stick or other thing, and do not allow 

 any one to tease or torment him ; re- 

 member that kindness is appreciated 

 even by an alligator, and you will 

 not have any trouble in keeping him. 



The difference between alligators 

 and crocodiles lies mainlv in the shape 

 of the head. The crocodile has a nar- 

 row, triangular head ; that is, it gets 

 narrow toward the tip ; while the alli- 

 gator has a broad head, which is al- 

 most as wide at the tip as at the neck. 

 The eve tooth, so-called, in the lower 



