108 STORY OF THE REPTILES 



But in a few instances, as in the musk-turtle, some 

 lizards, snakes, and others, it is used as a protection 

 against enemies, and is very successful so far as the 

 human foe is concerned. Odor is doubtless a means 

 that reptiles have of advertising their position to each 

 other at social times. The lizards, in some cases, are 

 distinguished from each other by the presence or 

 absence of pores on the thighs for emitting the odor- 

 ous secretion. Crocodilians have similar pores under 

 the throat as well. Some old fishermen have stated 

 that the odor from these forward pores of the alliga- 

 tor is attractive to fishes, and the musky creature 

 thereby gets a living by its perfume. This is not 

 confirmed, but is not very improbable. During the 

 battles of these monsters this odor can be detected 

 miles away, down wind. 



Ornaments 



We have been compelled to say that certain 

 things that appear as weapons, etc., may be merely 

 ornaments; for weapons are frequently ornamented 

 in Nature. But there are among the reptiles many 

 appendages which are ornaments purely. To be 

 brief, these are mostly found in the males and con- 

 sist of frills, wattles, dewlaps, or great hanging folds 

 of skin, and even the spines, warts, and horns are 

 ornamentally located. These, when the social season 

 comes on, have much brighter colors than they have 

 in the winter, and some of them are erected, inflated, 

 or spread out by the proud possessor when his sweet- 

 heart or his rival comes around. 



