150 HISTORY OF THE ALLIGATOR. 



the confines, however, the lungs of some of the aquatic 

 reptiles, and the gill cells of some of the cartilaginous 

 fishes, have so near a resemblance to each other, that the 

 line of distinction, though there is no doubt of its existence, 

 is a nice point to determine. It is worthy of remark, too, 

 that the reptiles and the fishes alluded to are both tena- 

 cious of life in proportion to the sluggish action of their 

 system ; and there is also something curious in the growth 

 of their bones. 



During the heat of the day, the alligators either lie 

 stretched and languid on the banks, or in the mud, on the 

 shores of the rivers and lagunes, which are the favorite 

 haunts of the animals ; and as the other natives of such 

 localities (the winged ones which sport in the sun ex- 

 cepted) are generally at rest at these times, the conse- 

 quence is, that during the day, they capture but few ani- 

 mals, excepting such as wander near them. They some- 

 times, however, are put into motion and noise in the heat 

 and drought, by that singular wave called the "bore," 

 which is known in some of the fen rivers of England, and 

 which is often very high and violent in its motion in the 

 level-bedded rivers of warmer climates. Heavy and 

 strong as the full-grown alligators are, the force of the bore 

 rolls them powerless before it; and they rattle a,gainst 

 each other, and bellow, adding much to the noise and con- 

 fusion. There is no bore in the bays or lagunes, and none 

 in rivers above the first rapid, even though that is an 

 inconsiderable one ; and thus, during the hot and sunny 

 days, the alligators in these are at peace. When evening 

 comes, however, they begin to move, and the roaring of 

 the larger ones is terrific. It is a compound of the sounds 

 of the bull and the bittern, but far louder than either ; and 

 it grates and shivers on the ear as if the ground were 

 shaking. Whether it produces any effect upon the prey 

 of the alligators, in making that prey disclose itself by its 

 efforts to escape, is not known ; and, indeed, harsh and 



