THE ALLIGATOR'S LIFE HISTORY 17 



trie torch at night, are very brilliant and can be seen for 

 a considerable distance, certainly four or five hundred feet. 

 The eyes of the adult males shine red, and the eyes of the 

 females and young a greenish or bluish yellow. 



The opening of the ear is just back of the eye, quite 

 large, crescent-shaped, and is covered by a flap of heavy 

 skin hinged above. This ear cover is opened when the 

 head is above the water and closed when the head is under 

 the water. 



The power of an alligator when closing its jaws and its 

 power to keep its jaws closed is enormous. With a quick 

 snap, it can crush the bones of a full-grown cow. I have 

 an eleven foot alligator in my possession now, called Frank, 

 who shortly after being caught had thrust between his 

 gaping jaws a flat piece of two-inch-thick steel. He closed 

 on this metal with such force, that the long ninth tooth on 

 each side of his upper jaw was driven by the force of its 

 closing on the metal clear through the bony top of his 

 upper jaw, and the hollow ends of his teeth protruded 

 above the bone. With an ordinary pair of heavy pliers, I 

 caught hold of these teeth and pulled them through the 

 jaw from the top, as they would never have grown back in 

 place. The holes left healed over, but this alligator has 

 never grown teeth where these were broken through. 



If a large alligator closed its jaws, no man would have 

 strength enough to open them, and I believe if a crowbar 

 were used, the bone of the jaw would be broken before the 

 muscles would give away; but any reasonably strong man, 

 if he does not become frightened can hold closed the jaws 

 of the largest alligator, with one hand, by catching the 

 two closed jaws together at the snout. 



There are two distinct types of alligators one that 

 grows long and slender, another that grows short and 

 heavy. This fact is most noticeable in the males, and there 

 is apparently no reason for it except a natural difference in 

 stature. I have seen alligators twelve feet long that were 



