ALLIGATORS OF GUIANA 289 



number of infertile eggs, ranging from five to twenty per 

 cent. In a six weeks' nest, these can already be detected 

 and thrown away, but in a nest where the eggs have been 

 deposited only three weeks, the fertile cannot be told from 

 the infertile ones. The fertile eggs remain white, but the 

 bad ones soon turn yellow, at first in spots and later all 

 over. In a healthy egg with a four- weeks' embryo, the two 

 end thirds of the egg are pale pink or flesh color. The sur- 

 face of some eggs is almost smooth, but usually the lime in- 

 crustations resemble the convolutions of brain coral. 



^The hunters recognize three kinds of alligators, both 

 young and adults of which they can distinguish on sight. 

 These are known respectively as the Abary, the Goosway 

 and the Goomasaka (Fig, 97). The principal distinguish- 

 ing characters between the three are the black dorsal mark- 

 ings. Between the front and hind legs there are four, rarely 

 five, transverse black bands. In the Abary most of these 

 bands are interrupted in the middle line of the back; in the 

 Goosway, they form solid, continuous transverse zones of 

 pigment ; while in the Goomasaka, the bands on each side of 

 the back line alternate, the lateral halves of one side being 

 opposite the lighter interspace of the opposite side. Every 

 individual 'gator of any one brood always conforms to one 

 or the other of the types, but breeds of intermediate types are 

 occasionally found, and these are considered as the result of 

 inter-breeding of two of the forms./ 1 



The Abary and Goosway are the common forms and 

 found over most of the coastal area, while the Goomasaka 

 is very much rarer and confined chiefly to Berbice. These 

 are also reputed much fiercer than the others, more ready 

 to attack any intruder, and to be able to stay for a much 

 longer time under the water. When adult there are four 

 long teeth in the lower jaw which project through the bone 

 and skin of the upper. The Abary and Goosway on the 

 contrary, have teeth which are much more even. 



