76 



ALLIONIA ALLUMINITE. 



the same time inourvating its body with more than 

 ordinary exertion, hits a violent blow on the shoulder 

 with its thick and scaly tail. The bite and the blow to- 

 gether bring the animal to its knees, tumble it headlong 

 and helpless ; and as the alligator does not quit its hold 

 while the animal continues to struggle, and also con- 

 trives to keep the head under water, the prey soon 

 expires of pain and suffocation. The smaller mam- 

 malia are generally foundered by the blow of the 

 tail, and then seized by the head and drawn under 

 water till they are suffocated. But in what state so- 

 ever prey of this description is eaten, whether recent 

 or after it has been partially decomposed by time, it 

 is always eaten on land. They do not feed under 

 water, any more than they breathe in that situation ; 

 but while in the water, they often contrive to feed in 

 the air. They do so both upon birds and fishes. The 

 low-flying ones of the former, they sometimes catch as 

 they skim the surface on the wing ; and they get un- 

 der the swimmers, jerk them clear of the water with 

 the snout, and instantly seize and swallow them. 

 When it preys on fishes, it gets below them and en- 

 deavours to jerk them out of the water in a similar 

 manner, in which case it swallows them at once ; but 

 if it seize them under water, it rises to the surface, 

 tosses them into the air, and again seizes and swal- 

 lows them as they fall. The latter manoeuvre has been 

 stated by travellers, and the statement has been re- 

 peated by compilers, to be performed in order that 

 the alligator may expel from its mouth the water 

 which it has taken in while seizing the fish. This 

 however, an absurdity. The fish in the water is taken 

 crosswise ; and consequently the reptile, by merely 

 rising to the surface, could easily retain it and expel 

 the water. But the fish, especially if it be of consi- 

 derable length, is held in such a way as that it can- 

 not easily be swallowed. It is therefore tossed into 

 the air ; and following the general law of animals in 

 that state (for the exception of cats is doubtful), it 

 comes down head foremost ; and thus is either killed 

 at once by the bite, or swallowed with ease. Many 

 of the mammalia deal with their small prey after a 

 similar manner. The dog, for instance, seizes a rat 

 across the body ; the vital parts are too far within 

 the gape for the canines ; the rat bites ; the dog 

 gives a whine, tosses it up in the air, seizes it by the 

 head as it falls, and the rat bites no more. 



This species of alligator is most numerous in the 

 fresh waters immediately to the northward of the 

 Gulf of Mexico, and it is abundant in proportion as 

 the locality is marshy, full of putrifying things and 

 pestilent. The vast tide of the Mississippi shows, 

 upon the grandest scale any where to be met with, 

 the power of running water over the earth. Trees, 

 forests, islands, are moved about by it, as lightly as 

 dry stubble by the autumnal floods of our rivers ; 

 and therefore excepting in the cold season when they 

 remain torpid in their hybernacula under the banks, it 

 is always harvest time with the alligators, and also 

 with the soft turtle (Testudo ferox], which is as vora- 

 cious in proportion to the turtles of other places, as 

 the pike-headed alligator to the other alligators. Many 

 of the accounts of these reptiles as given by authors 

 must be received with deductions ; but after every 

 allowance, they are bold and formidable enemies. 



The species most frequently met with in the rivers 

 of Guiana, is different in appearance, and not so 

 daring in its manner. It has the head shorter and 

 broader ; the teeth smaller, and a bony protuberance 



over each eye ; on which account Cuvier terms it A. 

 palpcbrasus, the eyebrowed alligator. It rarely if 

 ever attacks any animal on land, though in the sea- 

 son of activity it is abundantly active in the water. It 

 was upon the back of one of this species that Mr. 

 Waterton performed that ride which he describes 

 with such graphic naivete, in his " Wanderings in 

 South America." The feat seems a desperate one ; 

 but, after all, what could even an alligator (or caiman 

 as it is there called) do, with the barbs of a hook, the 

 size of an ordinary faggot, lacerating its stomach, by 

 the joint action of a dozen men pulling it to the 

 beach, and its own resistance in endeavouring to keep 

 the water? 



There are other species which inhabit the rivers 

 further to the southward, which have the muzzle more 

 produced ; and the accounts state that they are 

 milder in their manners in proportion as their habitats 

 are more southerly. Enough has already been said 

 on the general characters ; and the specific varieties 

 in form, whether of the animals themselves or of the 

 plates with which their skins are variously armed, are 

 of small value in a popular point of view, as they 

 have been connected with no peculiarities in the iia- 

 bits of the animals. See CROCODILE and GAVIAL. 



ALLIONIA (Linnaeus)? A genus* containing 

 two species of ornamental annuals, natives of Cumana. 

 Linmean class and order, Tetrnndria Tctrfigytria. 

 Natural order, Nyctagincce. Generic character : ca- 

 lyx, four irregular coloured divisions ; stamina, four ; 

 style, one ; fruit, an akenium formed by the hardened 

 and persisting base of the calyx. 



ALLIUM (Linnaeus). Garlic. This is a most 

 numerous family of bulbous-stemmed plants, there 

 being no less than 117 species, and many varieties. 

 Linnaean class and order, Hexandria monogynia. 

 Natural order, Asphodclca;. These plants are known 

 from all others by their peculiar scent, taste, and use- 

 fulness in cookery. Their flowers grow on globular 

 heads ; the capsules have three angles, three valves, 

 and three cells, and the round stems of some of them 

 are hollow and curiously inflated in the middle. 

 Many have showy flowers, so as to gain for them a 

 place in the flower garden. But they are most valued 

 in the kitchen garden, where the following are always 

 cultivated : A. cepa, the onion ; A. pornim, the leek ; 

 A. ascalonicum, the shalot ; A. sativum, garlic ; A. 

 ojMoscordon, rocambole ; A. Jistufarum, the Welsh 

 onion; and A. scheenoprasum ; all of which will be 

 treated of under their English names. 



ALLOCHROITE. A mineral body, usually 

 classed with the garnet ; it may, however, be distin- 

 guished from the common garnet by its lighter colour, 

 as well as its inferior lustre and transparency. Allo- 

 chroite is usually of a greenish-grey and brown colour. 

 It is found in Norway, where it is associated with 

 calcareous spa, brown garnet, and magnetic ironstone. 



ALLSEED. A genus called Polycarpon by 

 botanists, containing two small annual swamp plants, 

 natives of England and Spain. Linnaean class and 

 order, Triandria Trigynia. Natural order, Parony- 

 chiacecE. 



ALLSPICE. A name given to the fruit of the 

 pimento, or clove tree, well known in commerce ; and 

 to the flowers of the Calvcanthus florida, from their 

 similarity of scent to the pimcnta. 



ALLUMINITE. A mineral of a snow-white co- 

 lour, which occurs along with selenite in calcareous 

 loam. It is found both in Saxony and Scotland. 



