CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 



171 



provides them with food which she disgorges, showing much imxiety for theirsafety. 

 At this early period of their existence they are exposed to many dangers, being a 

 favorite prey of fishes and turtles. Alligators' eggs are sometimes eaten by the 

 Florida crackers. The robbing of the nests for market is helping to hasten the inev- 

 itable destruction of the alligator fishery, wliich has been an important and profit- 

 able industry in Florida. Facts recently gathered by the Fish Commission show 

 that the reptiles can not long escape practical extermination. Already they are 

 l>ecoming scarce, and the price of hides has gone up. 



It is estimated that 2,500,000 alligators were killed in Florida between 1880 and 

 1891. 



In 1890 about 250 pounds of alligator teeth were sold, hunters receiving from $1 

 to $2 a pound for them. They are removed by burying the heads and rotting out 

 the teeth. Of the best teeth, about seventy make a pound. The stuffing of alli- 

 gators and the polishing of the teeth give employment to forty persons. Unfortu- 

 nntely, alligators grow very slowly. At 15 years of age they are only 2 feet long. 

 A 12-footer may be reasonably supposed to be 75 years old. 



The artifical propagation of alligators has been recently undertaken to supply the 

 trade in Florida curiosities. 



The incubator system employed is ([uite simple. The eggs, which are about the 

 size of those of a goose, are placed in boxes of sand and covered up. The boxes are 

 exposed on a roof to the torrid rays of a tropical sun, and in a few days the young 

 reptiles are hatched. 



All'ujator miasisstppienis Daudin. 



CROCODILUS Laurenti. 



Vrocodilus Laurknti, Syn. Kept., 1768, p. 53. — Stkauch, Syn. Crocod., 1866, p. 28.— 

 CuviEK, Ann. Mus., X, 1807, }). 40.— Waglek, Syst. Amph., 1830, p. 40.— 

 DuMlcRiL and Birron, Erp. Gen., Ill, 1836, p. 93.— Gray, Cat. Tort., 1844, 

 p. 58.— Huxley, Journ. Linn. Soc, IV, 1860, p. 6.— GOnther, Eept. Brit, 

 Ind., 1864, p. 60.— Gray, Cat. Sh. Kept., II, 1872, p. 14. 



Champsv Merre.m, Tentamen Systematis Amphibiorura, 1820, p. 36. 



Mecistopa Gray, part, Cat. Tort., p. 57. 



OophoUs Gray, Cat. Tort., p. 58; Cat. Sb. Rept., II, p. 8. 



Palinia Gray, Cat. Tort., p. 60; Cat. Sh. Rept., II, p. 13. 



Molinia Gray, Cat. Tort., p. 60; Cat. Sh. Rept., II, p. 17. 



MecMops HuxLKY, .lourn. Linn. Soc., IV, p. 15.— Gray, Cat. Sh. Rept., II, p. 21. 



BomUfrons Gray, Ann. and Mag. n! H. (3), X, 1862, p. 269; Cat. Sh. Rept., II, p. 9. 



Temsacus Gray, Cat. Tort., p. 272 ; Cat. Sh. Rept., II, p. 18. 



Philas Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1874, p. 177. 



Fifth maxillary tooth largest, the fourth mandibular usually fitting 

 into a notch in the uiiper Jaw. Snout more or less elongate; uasal 

 bones extending to the nasal aperture, which is undivided and larger 

 than the supratemporal fossae; a very small anterior bony plate in the 

 upper eyelid. Splenial bones not entering the mandibular symphysis. 

 A dorsal shield formed by four or more longitudinal series of juxta- 

 posed, keeled, bony scutes. Africa, Southern Asia, North Australia, 

 Tropical America. 



