150 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



fessor Cope's "Crocodilians, Lizards, and Snakes of North 

 America" : "Alligators grow very slowly. At fifteen years of 

 age they are only two feet long. A twelve-footer may Ije reason- 

 ably supposed to be seventy-five years of age." 



Observations in the Reptile House have been very contrary 

 to this theory. Keeper Snyder and the writer collected a large 

 nest of alligator eggs in South Carolina, in August of 1900. The 

 eggs numbered thirty-eight, and were, about the size of hens' 

 eggs, only more elongated. These eggs were shipped to the 

 Reptile House, packed in the material composing the original 

 nest, and five of them hatched between October 8 and 14. From 

 shaking during shipment, the remainder of the eggs failed to 

 hatch. 



These young alligators measured, at the time of hatching, eight 

 inches ; each weighed one and three-eighths of an ounce. One 

 year after hatching, they were again measured. Their average 

 length was eighteen inches, and their weight nine and one-quar- 

 ter ounces. This showed an increase in length, in twelve months' 

 time, of ten inches and an increase of about seven and one-half 

 ounces. 



In August of the past year, these specimens w^ere again meas- 

 ured. At that time their average length was twenty-three inches 

 and the weight three pounds. Since that time they have grown 

 rapidly, and the last measurement, taken March 5, 1903, showed 

 them to average three feet, nine inches in length and to weigh 

 fourteen pounds. These reptiles were at the time of this meas- 

 urement only two and one-half years old ; yet they had increased 

 thirty-seven inches in length, and gained thirteen pounds, four- 

 teen and three-eighth ounces in w^eight since hatching. 



From observations made in the South Carolina bayous by the 

 writer, it would seem that the growth of wild alligators must 

 be fully as rapid, if not more so, than the specimens reared in 

 captivity. The females construct their nests near shallows teem- 

 ing with fish, and in an atmosphere of heat and humidity. The 

 young reptiles probably grow more rapidly when wild than when 

 confined. Of course hibernation must be considered in the case 

 of the wild reptile. During this period, growth must be very slow, 

 or ceases altogether. Yet the writer has always noted that rep- 

 tiles in captivity, no matter how elaborate may be the facilities 

 for their care, or the voracity evinced by the reptiles themselves, 

 never grow so rapidly as those in a wild state. Repeatedly has 

 this been observed by comparing the young of wild and captive- 

 bred snakes, the ages of which are easily distinguished by their 



