42 THE ALLIGATOR'S LIFE HISTORY 



overtook, caught and swallowed one after the other all of 

 these little ducks. This alligator was not more than three 

 and a half feet long. 



On June 26, 1933, I, with a couple of my men, had been 

 in the swamp to the east of Avery Island inspecting some 

 canal work and dams. While standing on one of the dams 

 a King-rail and eleven quarter-grown young ones were seen 

 feeding on the east bank of the canal not more than eighty 

 feet from where we stood. The old rail started swimming 

 across the canal, followed scatteringly by her brood. When 

 the old bird and the first young were about half way over, 

 a four foot alligator swam out from the shadow of the 

 opposite bank, headed for the swimming birds. I saw 

 it almost as soon as it left the bank, and it almost imme- 

 diately submerged. The old rail also saw it and warned 

 her young, with the rail's rattling alarm call. All the 

 young ones turned back, except one who tried to make the 

 opposite bank with its mother. Suddenly the alligator rose 

 to the surface very near the swimming young rail and with 

 a quick side snap, caught and swallowed it. It then re- 

 mained in the centre of the canal with only its eyes show- 

 ing. The mother rail was now on the opposite side of the 

 canal from her brood, scolding and calling in an excited 

 voice. In a few minutes, three of the young rails started 

 swimming to their mother. They had hardly left the bank 

 when the alligator submerged, and in a few moments came 

 up alongside one of the swimming birds, caught it by a side 

 swing of its head, swallowed it at one gulp, then swam 

 rapidly after the other two, caught up with them just be- 

 fore they got to the bank where the mother rail was, and 

 snapped up another; the third got safely to the shore. The 

 alligator then rested quietly with only its eyes showing. The 

 old rail had gone a little way up the canal bank and began 

 calling to her young. Four more of them started across, 

 this time about twenty-five feet ug the canal from the alli- 

 gator. On seeing the little rails in the water the alligator 



