EFFECTS OF THIRST AND STARVATION UPON ALLIGATORS. 41 



inspection. When I fired at the reptile, this lid was raised, and a single small buck- 

 shot passed into the meatus avditorius externiis, glanced against the bones, and 

 ranging forwards, lodged against the eyeball. The lid was immediately shut down, 

 and remained thus during his confinement. The only evidence of any injury, was 

 a few drops of blood issuing from the corner of his eye ; and, although I saw him 

 every day, the true nature of the wound was not ascertained until after his death. 

 The injury was productive of no serious consequences whatever, and only produced 

 a temporary paralysis, just long enough to effect his capture. 



In confinement he was exceedingly fierce, when disturbed, opening his jaws and 

 drawing in his breath, making a hissing noise, and swelling out his body, like some 

 Ophidians. When touched or approached, he would throw his head and body com- 

 pletely around — his head occupying the position of his tail. Simultaneously with 

 this movement, the tail was brought violently towards the distended jaws. 



During two and a half weeks, he passed no fecal matters, and discharged his 

 urine but once, in quantity about two fluidounces. The urine consisted of a fluid, 

 and a solid, chalk-like portion, composed of innumerable globules of the urate of 

 ammonia. 



The blood flowed slowly, and was much less in quantity than that of the female 

 alligator, examined in its normal condition. It coagulated into a dense, coherent 

 clot, immediately after its abstraction from the body. 



Specific gravity of defibrinated blood ..... 1056. 



Solid constituents in 1000 parts of blood .... 196.57 



" " serum .... 90.80 



" in serum of 1000 parts of blood . . . 80.24 



Water in 1000 parts of blood ...... 803.43 



" " serum ...... 909.20 



1000 parts of blood contained — 



Water ......... 803.43 



Blood-corpuscles (dried organic constituents) .... 106.80 



Albumen, and water extractive ...... 74.02 



Fibrin ......... 3.41 



Fatty constituents and alcoholic extract . . . . .2.00 



Fixed saline constituents ...... 10.34 



1000 parts of blood contained — 



Moist blood-corpuscles 451.68 j Water ' ' - 338 ' 6 



(Solid constituents . . . 112.92 



T . . . r,o oo (Water ..... 464.67 



Liquor sanguinis 548.32 -I „ , . „„ _ 



1 (Solid constituents . . . 83.65 



By comparing the results obtained from the female alligator, in a normal con- 

 dition, with those obtained from its mate — which had been kept without food and 

 drink for seventeen and a half days — we see that the most obvious effects of 

 starvation and thirst were the diminution of its blood and the consumption of the 

 fat deposited in its tissues. In the normal subject, twelve fluidounces of blood 

 were, with ease, obtained ; whilst from the one deprived of food and drink for seven- 

 teen and a half days, not more than one-third of this amount could with difficulty 

 be collected. The changes in the relative amounts of the different constituents of 

 the blood will be seen in the following tables : — 

 6 



