BELIKERI. 49 



whole length clean out of the water 

 and then disappeared. We searched 

 the bottom all over for his carcass 

 without success, but found the body of 

 the little dog. This was quite four 

 hundred yards from the spot where he 

 had been seized, and it was clear that 

 the alligator on being hit had ejected 

 the dog. There was neither tooth 

 mark nor wound of any kind visible 

 on the body. 



I used often to see alligators asleep on 

 the sandy beach with their mouths wide 

 open, and found that, as in the case of 

 the shark, the act of opening the jaws 

 draws a tough white membrane across 

 the gullet, effectually closing it and 

 preventing the water from rushing in 

 so long as the jaws remain open. 



E 



