THE ALLIGATOR'S LIFE HISTORY 53 



lowed is passed out through the intestines, and nothing is 

 rejected through the mouth, as is the case with some other 

 reptiles. 



Some writers claim to have found in alligators' stomachs 

 round pieces of wood or other foreign substances. I think 

 their observations were not complete, for a closer examina- 

 tion of the substances would probably have proven them to 

 be reminant of food that had remained in the stomach after 

 hibernation had begun, and during the several months of 

 inactivity had been molded by the muscular actions of the 

 stomach into a solid mass, dark brown in color and in tex- 

 ture much resembling wood. I have found such objects 

 from the size of a walnut to ones larger than my fist in 

 the stomach of every alligator taken from its den whose 

 stomach was examined during the months of February and 

 March. This mass is gotten rid of later in the year, for 

 I have never seen it present in summer-killed alligators. 

 Small pieces of wood and other foreign substances are fre- 

 quently swallowed by alligators, for in catching their food, 

 especially if the food is small, the alligator's big jaws scoop 

 up objects of considerable size together with the food, and 

 if the object taken into its mouth is not too large, it is swal- 

 lowed with the food. As an alligator does not regurgi- 

 tate, any object swallowed remains in its stomach until dis- 

 solved by the strong gastric juices. 



It has been stated by a number of writers that there is 

 usually plenty of game fish, and, therefore, good fishing 

 where alligators abound, but I have never seen the reason 

 given for this fact. I have also noted this fact, and I have 

 noted very carefully the reason for it; which is that alli- 

 gators feed largely on garfish who are sluggish, extremely 

 predatory fish, and protected by nature with such heavy 

 armor that they are not subject to attack by anything in the 

 water except alligators. Alligators certainly destroy great 

 numbers of garfish, and where alligators are plentiful, 



