252 THE REPTILES 



longer than the body. The head of the crocodile presents a strik- 

 ing appearance on account of its length of jaw and the number 

 of sharp-pointed teeth exposed to view; it snaps and tears 

 at its prey, and thus wears or drags out its teeth, which 

 are constantly replaced by larger ones. When a crocodile drags 

 a struggling animal into the water in its jaws, it shuts its nostrils, 

 sinks down, and closes the back of its throat by muscular action 

 which brings the upper and lower membrane folds together. No 

 water can then pass into the throat: After a while the crocodile 

 just raises" the tip of its snout above water, opens the valves of 

 its nostrils and takes in air, which passes along the passage above 

 the palate, behind the folds of skin into the throat, and thence 

 into the lungs. The eggs of the crocodile are small, about the 

 size of a goose's egg, and the young come forth looking very like 

 the parent in shape, with large eyes, a great gape, and a fine set 

 of sharp teeth; 



The chief distinctions between the crocodile and the alligator 

 are the short, broad head of the latter reptile, its very unequal 

 teeth the fourth lower tooth fitting into a socket instead of a 

 notch in the upper jaw rounded hind legs, and toes not webbed 

 beyond the middle of their entire length. The scales of the body 

 and neck are also arranged differently, forming in some 

 alligators a continuous armour. 



S; F. Clarke, who has made a careful study of the American 

 Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), writes concerning their habits 

 that " usually one finds them in the waters of the smaller streams 

 and ponds, lying with only the tip of the nose and the eyes exposed, 

 or lying on an exposed place on the bank where the grass and 

 other plants are beaten down, and the black, rich mud of the river 

 bank is smoothed by the repeated movements of the alligators 

 in climbing up and down. There they bask in the sunlight until 

 disturbed by the hunter or the desire for food. They frequently 

 dig a cave for themselves in the bottom of the pond or stream, 

 or in the bank beneath the water. During the breeding season, 

 from the end of May to the beginning of July, the males are very 

 active, wandering about to various ponds and rivers in search of 

 the females. Fierce battles are said to take place during this 

 time between the excited males ; and the mutilated specimens that 

 one sees are weighty evidence for the truth of this assertion. It 



