ALLIGATOR KILLING. 187 



often finds himself surrounded by these singular crea- 

 tures, and if he be unaccustomed to their presence and 

 habits, they cause great alarm. Scattered about in 

 every direction, yet hidden by the darknes.s, he hears 

 their huge jaws open and shut with a force tliat makes 

 a noise, when numbers are congregated, like echoing 

 thunder. 



Again, in the glare of the camp tire will .sometimes 

 be seen the huge alligator crawling within the lighted 

 circle, attracted by the smell of food — perciiance you 

 have squatted upon a nest of eggs, encased with great 

 judgment in the centre of .some high ground you your- 

 self have chosen to pass the night upon. 



Many there are who go unconcernedly to sleep with 

 such intruders in their immediate vicinity ; but a rifle 

 ball, effectively fired, will most certainly leave you un- 

 molested, while the alligator, in its agonies of death, no 

 doubt takes comfort in the thought, that the sun will 

 hatch out its eggs, and that there will grow up a nume- 

 rous brood of young, as hideous and destructive as 

 itself. 



The alligator is a luxurious animal, fond of all the 

 comforts of life, which are, according to its habits, plen- 

 tifully scattered around it. We have watched them, en- 

 joying their evening nap in the shades of tangled vine, 

 and in the hollow trunk of the cypress, or floating like a 

 log on the top of some sluggish pool. 



Wc have seen them sporting in the green slime, and 



