22 



Ihiiic, whicli iu sonie cases would turn a bullet. Their greatest strength lies in the tail, which is 

 one mass of muscle, and it is their habit to strike any animal they may come in contact with a 

 sweep of their tail, disaljling them, before seizing them with the jaws. Tiie eyes are ])rovided with 

 a nictitating mcmlirane or transparent movable pellicle, as in birds. The articulations of tlie jaws 

 are very jieculiar, being placed so far liack as to cause the observer to think that the upjierand not 

 tlie lower jaw is moved in opening the mouth. Tiie legs are very sliort, but strong and muscular ; 

 the hind feet have only four toes, which are united towards tlieir base by a strong web, tlie two 

 interior toes on each of the fore feet and the interior one on the hind feet are destitute of claws. 

 Considering the disproportion between the size of their bodies and their legs it is astonishing how 

 they can travel, as a crocodile (;au go as fast as a mau at a brisk walk. Mr. ]?osisto, of Hicli- 

 mond, liad a ])eculiar exjierieuce, whicli he narrates. On a visit to Queensland he was ])resented 

 with some crocodile eggs, whicli he lirought liomc and jilaced in Ids window, where, to liis great 

 sur]irise, lie liecaiuc the possessor of quite a small family of crocodiles, the eggs having been 

 liatched out by the solar heat. It may be as well to exjjlain the difference between crocodiles and 

 alligators, whicli is always easily discerned by the shape of their jaws and teeth, the long lower 

 teetli of tlie crocodiles fitting into a notch in the edge of the u])per jaw, .'uid are visil>]e when the 

 jaws are shut, those of tlie alligators fitting into a ])it or cavity in the upper jiiw. In crocodiles 

 also the hind legs have a fringe of compressed scales. The siiecimeiis here shown are true 

 crocodiles. The stuffed specimen, which can be seen in the Fisheries Court, was the first 

 crocodile shown liy the Trustees at the Aquarium. It created a great sensation, owing to its 

 enormous size, and was calculated by scientists to be upwards of 2U0 years old. An Auu'rican 

 newspaper prints the following humorous extract : — 



A PET ALLIGATOR. 



" My boy once liail a pet alligator that was pretty fierce," oliserved Meekin, the lazy inventor. " When he teased 

 this young sanriau the beast would swipe out with its powerful tail in an amazing fashion, without doing itself or anybody 

 else any good. It occurred to nie that here was a splendid example of wasted energy, and I set out to devise a means of 

 conserving it and turning it to some useful purpose. I spent a winter in Florida, and after I had experimented with sonic 

 of the small 'gators that are supplied to tourists for a consideration, I ordered some big fellows. After some little trouble I 

 secured ten 'gators, each about four feet in length and of about ten-horse power tail capacity. My sclieme for utilizing 

 their tail power — yes, it was a kind of 'tail race ' — was this : The 'gators were placed side by side in stalls, which left 

 their tails free to wag. I had upright Ijeams set like pendulums, the swinging end of the beams coming close enough to 

 the 'gators to be in a good position for action. Then I Ijuilt a tank over the stalls and tilled it with thundering big cannon 

 balls. There was an inclined chute running from the tank to a power wheel made with hollow pieces in the rim, something 

 like a water-wheel. In the clmte I liad a valve to regulate the flow of cannon balls. Half the 'g.Ttors were used to worli 

 the cannou-ball part of the machine, and the other half to run a conveyor contrivance to lift the balls back into the tank 

 after they had done their work in turning the wheel. I connected a small dynamo by a belt to a pulley wheel on thepower- 

 wlieel shaft. My main circuit ran from the dynamo to a bank of incandescent lamps, wliich were to be used in the test. 

 When evei-ything was ready, the wheels oiled up, main switch closed, and the 'gators pretty mad, I hired four little 

 coloured boys to go along in front of the stalls and crack the 'gators on the head witli short clubs. This made 'em awfu 

 mad, and so they struck out with their tails. Tlien the old shebang commenced to run. A little coon would hit a 'gator 

 on the head, lie'd let out M'itli liis tail, strike a Vieam, open the valve, let out a cannon ball, which rolled down the chute 

 and on to the wheel, turning it around. Then the ball rolled liack to the conveyor and was hoisted up by one of the other 

 'gators, ^^he was Iiumming lieautifuUy ; but I had forgotten one thing ; tliat was a governor. The little coons liked their 

 work, and lambasted the 'gators unmercifully. I stopped them, but the wild animals were beyond control. They lashed 

 around until the speed got so higli that the armature of the dynamo burned out with a flash. The 'gators running the 

 conveyor got into a race with the other fellows, and hoisted up cannon lialls so fast that the tank got overweighted and 

 broke down. The cannon balls fell on the 'gators' heads and killed every one of them. Fact, I assure you." — Kansas 

 City JuiiriHil- 



THE l'LATYi'U8. 



( ()riiit!)orliiincliii,'< paradoxus^ 



The Platypus jiond will be ftuind in the outside enchisure. As these mammals tire very 

 difficult to keep in (;a])tivity, it does not always happen that there are specimens in the pond : 

 unfortunatiily. also, their habits are nocturnal, <ind when specimens are doing well they are diliicult 

 to be seen by visitors. The interior of the earthwork of the pond is laid out in a series of channels 

 somewhat in a manner resembling the sketch on this page, which illustrates the manner in which 

 they construct their luirrows. 



The full-grown animal is about 2U inches long, having a long flattened body covered witl 

 a beautiful thick soft fur, dark-brown above and whitish beneath. The muzzle is elongated. 



