74 THE ALLIGATOR'S LIFE HISTORY 



a number of male alligators following a female, and if he 

 did not kill the female he could be sure of getting all the 

 males, and that on two occasions when he killed the female 

 first, the following males went under the water, and he got 

 none of them. Therefore, I let the female pass and killed 

 the eight males as they swam pass camp. All of these males 

 were more than eight feet long, and the one next to the 

 female measured twelve feet, eleven inches. 



The big bulls also make, when looking for a fight, a pecu- 

 liar half-roar half-hiss. This noise is given with a sudden 

 inflation of the body and a quick surge forward accompanied 

 by two tremendous whacks of the tail right and left, and at 

 the same time (without raising the head completely out of 

 the water, as when roaring) giving voice to a deep, short, 

 throaty cough followed by a deep reverberating "er-r-r-r." 

 This noise is not often heard, and I think is a challenge to 

 possible rivals, for after making the sound, which is never 

 repeated immediately, as is the roar, the one giving it holds 

 his head high above and parallel to the water with a fierce 

 expectant look, as if looking for trouble. 



All alligators, both male and female, when danger ap- 

 proaches or when getting ready to fight with others, inflate 

 themselves and then blow the air through the nostrils, mak- 

 ing a loud hissing sound. This sound is only for the pur- 

 pose of challenging an opponent or to frighten away some- 

 thing that they consider dangerous. This is the only sound 

 I have ever heard given by the female, except the "umph," 

 which they use in different tones when calling their young, 

 and the "sna-r-r-r" in answer to the roar of the male in the 

 breeding season. This "umph" sound by its tones seem to 

 have various meanings, as I have heard it used by female 

 alligators to assemble their young and to warn them also. 

 It is also the sound given by the young when badly fright- 

 ened, and will cause the mother alligator to come to the 

 rescue of the little ones. This sound is the only one used 

 by an alligator when in pain from wounds. 



