25 



all aroLiiiJ, concluded to paddle his way to the shore. But as soon as 

 he dipped his paddle in the water, he found that the animal began to 

 niov'e towards him. The canoe was narrow ; there was no room for 

 the animal to pass him. The parties were mutually embarrassed. The 

 man hoped that his reluctant passenger would not attempt to kill him, 

 unless he should obstruct the w^ay. A happy thought struck him. He 

 mounted with one foot on each side of the canoe ; whereupon the alli- 

 gator crawled between his legs, until from the stern of the boat, he 

 plunged into the water, to the great joy of the man. Had the man dis- 

 puted the right of way, a crocodilian battle would haA'c resulted. 



The brevity at which I have constantly aimed in this monograph, 

 excludes many facts which I have either observed, or have derived from 

 persons of good character, of accurate information, who have no theories 

 but truth in view, in making statements concerning this animal and its 

 habits. It certainly has great sagacity in distinguishing a friend from a 

 foe. In many of my experiments, it showed not the least excitement or 

 anger ; while a negro, who had spit tobacco saliva in its eyes, could not 

 approach without raising a storm of indignation, manifested by the 

 animal rising on its legs, puffing and blowing like a bellows. 



The absurd story, that alligators eat their own young, cannot be 

 believed for a moment. A gentleman informed me, that one of his 

 negroes having caught a young alligator, which whined like a young 

 puppy, the parent came towards the negro with a rapidity he had never 

 witnessed on other occasions — a kind of jumping motion, which caused 

 the boy to run, after dropping his captiv^e. I have been assured, when 

 danger is imminent, that very young alligators run into the parent's 

 mouth for safety. I have this statement from a highly respectable 

 physician. 



The following experiments, illustrative of the temperature of the 

 alligator, made with an accurate thermometer, which was tested by 

 freezing, boiling, etc.; and may be relied on. I have omitted to enu- 

 merate the duration and repetition of the experiments, for the sake of 

 brevity. The thermometer was seldom changed short of ten or fifteen 

 minutes, and never until it appeared stationary. These experiments, 

 which might have been greatly augmented, are, if I may judge, quite 

 sufficient to show, that Cuvier and his disciples greatly err, when they 

 assert, that this animal approaches the hot blooded quadrupeds in tem- 

 perature. It approximates not the hot blooded animals, but the mer- 

 curial column of the thermometer! 



March 31st, noon — air 62'; one alligator in the groins, etc., 57° — 

 another 57^°; the water in v/hich they reposed, about two inches deep, 

 gave 57°. At 6, p. >i., air 62°; the flanks, axilla?, under the tongue, 

 pharynx, and gullet, each 61°; both the water in which their abdomens 

 rested, and other water near at hand, gave exactly the same tempera- 

 ture. The day was cloudy. 



April 1st, sunrise — cloudy, humid, air 60°; alligator's flanks, etc., 

 59^°; gullet nearly 60°; a little water in which they lay, 59^°; other 

 water, near, 60°. Noon, air 63°; alligators, and the water in which 

 they lay, 61°; other water 62°. At 5, p. m., air 67°; alligator's 65°; 

 water two inches deep 64°; other water 65°. 



April 2d, sunrise — air 59^°; alligator's flanks and gullets, posterior 



