THE CROCODILE. 9 



by its Eastern cousins. It has, nevertheless, held its own, 

 being too formidable and well defended to be interfered 

 with with impunity. Although killed and eaten occasionally, 

 it was as a rule left severely alone, its flesh having a musty 

 flavour, that needs a strong stomach and long familiarity to 

 appreciate. Of late, however, evil times have fallen upon 

 the alligator. A use has been found for it. So long as the 

 dead crocodile was considered as worthless, save for the 

 somewhat disagreeable food it furnished, so long the alli- 

 gator was safe ; but it was otherwise as soon as it was 

 discovered that a portion of it was a marketable com- 

 modity. Some close investigator remarked that under its coat 

 of mail it wore a leathern doublet exactly corresponding to 

 it, and found that this doublet was capable of being turned 

 into an excellent peculiarly-marked leather. From that 

 day the fate of the alligator was sealed. It will doubtless 

 be a long time before it is exterminated, even in the 

 United States ; but, like the bison, it has to go. Already 

 on the rivers where the population is comparatively thick 

 it has become rare, and even in the swamps where it 

 formerly was undisputed master the search is hot for it. 

 Theoretically this will be a matter for regret; practically 

 its loss will not be sensibly felt. 



It may be owned that the alligator has been to some 

 extent maligned, and that the number of human beings 

 destroyed by it was by no means so great as its ex- 

 ceeding numbers in some of the sluggish rivers of the 

 Southern States or of South America would warrant one 

 in expecting. Nevertheless, it was certainly a very formid- 

 able foe, and a swimmer attacked by it had but small 

 chance of escape. Unlike the shark, the crocodile kills its 



