The Crocodilians 



throat of the alligator is furnished with a valve-like develop- 

 ment, the reptile is able not only to open its mouth, but to break 

 the bones of its prey while under water in a series of masticatory 

 movements and without a drop of water passing beyond the 

 valve, which is voluntarily opened and closed. To swallow its 

 food the alligator must raise its head above the water. This 

 it sometimes does by lurching suddenly upward while in deep 

 water and swallowing with a single gulp. It more frequently 

 comes to shallow places to swallow the prey. In this habit it 

 differs from other semi-aquatic reptiles — like the turtles. The 

 latter not only swallow their food beneath the surface, but are 

 unable to eat otherwise. The writer witnessed the greediness 

 of a very large alligator, illustrated in a tragic manner. As 

 a dog, weighing about fifty pounds, unwarily approached the 

 edge of this creature's tank, it was suddenly grasped and before 

 completing its first yelp of terror was dragged beneath the sur- 

 face. A few minutes later the twelve-foot saurian appeared 

 at the top, holding the dead canine in its jaws. The dog was 

 shifted about, amid the sound of breaking bones, and swallowed 

 head first, and entire, after a few gulps. 



Among reptiles, the alligator is unique in giving voice to a 

 loud noise, or bellow. In the Southern swamps the night air 

 carries the call of a large individual for a mile or more. The 

 "bellowing" of an alligator is hard to describe, as it varies greatly 

 in cadence according to the size of the reptile, and from a sound 

 like the gentle "mooing" of a cow with the small alligator of 

 about five feet, ranges to a thundering and tremulous blast of 

 the big male— ten feet or more in length. As the patriach gives 

 voice to his roars, the scent glands — on the under-surface of the 

 chin — are opened and fine, steamy jets of a powerful, musky- 

 smelling fluid float off into the heavy, miasmatic atmosphere 

 of the bayou. The odour may be carried for miles and to the 

 negroes it always signifies, "a big, ol' 'gator." 



THE AMERICAN CROCODILE 

 Crocodilus americanus, (Laurenti) 

 Little in the way of description is necessary as under the 

 head of the Alligator, the structure of the present species has 

 been compared with the former. 



The Crocodile is a more slender and a much more agile 



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