ALLIGATORS OF GUIANA 285 



and lays her eggs in the center of the hot steaming mass. 

 Unlike the turtles which lay their eggs in the sand banks of 

 the neighboring rivers, she does not desert the nest, but re- 

 mains most of the day somewhere in the vicinity. She does 

 not feed there, however, but daily swims to some more dis- 

 tant place. Her food consists of fish, frogs and snakes, with 

 whatever small animals or birds can be captured, while dead 

 creatures and even carrion are eaten without hesitation. If 

 the feeding ground is at a considerable distance it is an easy 

 matter to open the nest and examine the eggs undetected, 

 but if the alligator does not have to go far, she will return 

 at the slightest sound. 



Alligators differ considerably in their courage. Some 

 will leave the nest after a few weak protests, while others 

 will obstinately remain sprawled over their precious rubbish 

 heap and have to be killed before their nest can be robbed. 

 The mother alligator remains faithfully at her post until 

 the time of hatching, in which process she gives material 

 assistance. The two and a half months of alternate drench- 

 ing and baking by rain and sun often cakes the nest mound 

 with a hard-baked crust through which the gatorlings would 

 find it impossible to force their way. So the parent bites 

 into the nest, tossing the outer shell to one side until the 

 pipped eggs or the newly hatched young are exposed. When 

 this is done she rolls out the pipped eggs and pressing upon 

 them with one of her front feet, she cracks them and liberates 

 the young 'gator. The eggs which are still whole she rolls 

 back among the debris and leaves until the low, nasal, 

 squeaking grunts announce that more are ready to emerge. 

 The young are able to hatch by themselves, but it is usually 

 a very long operation and many die in the shells. 



I examined one which had had his little pugnosed snout 

 thrust through the end of the shell for twenty-four hours 

 and was just about to break a bit away from the hole when 

 the little reptile shot forth like a jack-in-the-box, freeing 

 himself completely except for his tail. He sprang from my 



