THE ALLIGATOR'S LIFE HISTORY 117 



Summer three different parties of alligator hunters were 

 caught with head-lights and guns killing the alligators for 

 their hides in the protected area, and it seems as if I will 

 have to maintain a constant patrol of this area at night, 

 if full protection is to be given them. This refuge was 

 closed to all hunting three years ago, and already there 

 has been a very large increase in the number of small alli- 

 gators, but it will requite ten years more of protection be- 

 fore they will be sufficiently large to be a real feature of 

 the waterways. Let us hope this protection can be given 

 them. 



