CEAr Ei 7V; 
CROCODILES. 
OT long ago, a lady, who was visiting England for the 
N first time, said to a brother clergyman and me: ‘‘] 
admire your beautiful county of Devonshire very much 
indeed.”’ And in reply to a question from one of us, continued : 
‘*Yes, I have made many excursions in this neighbourhood. 
Yesterday, for instance, my daughter and I started from our 
head-quarters on a walking expedition, and we passed through 
one pretty village and came to a second, where the church and 
the rectory are quite close to each other, making together a very 
pleasant picture.”’ 
Naturally, as we both lived near at hand, we inquired the 
names of the villages. The lady did not know, but she had 
asked who lived in the rectory, which was close to the church. 
The name of the clergyman she had forgotten, but she re- 
membered that she had been told that among other curious pets 
he kept a tame Alligator. ‘‘ This,” she said, ‘‘ excited my 
interest, for I am very fond of all animals, and so my daughter 
and I walked round the garden wall, looking for a chink through 
which we hoped to catch a glimpse of the strange beast, but 
fearing all the time to hear the scolding voice of some crusty old 
naturalist ordering us off, and reproaching us for our temerity.”’ 
We both laughed, and I was obliged to confess to being the 
‘*crusty old naturalist’? who owned the Alligator. 
It is not remarkable that the lady should have noticed so un- 
usual a pet as an Alligator. However, though uncommon now 
