188 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 
watching, like a dainty gourmand, the fattest frogs and 
longest snakes; but they are in the height of their glo- 
ry, stretched out upon the sand-bar in the meridian sun, 
when the summer heats pour down and radiate back 
from the parched sand, as tangibly as they would from 
red-hot iron. In such places will they bask, and blow 
off, with a loud noise, the inflated air and water which 
expands within them, occasionally rolling about their 
swinish eyes with a slowness of motion, which, while it 
expresses the most perfect satisfaction, is in no way cal- 
culated to agitate their nerves, or discompose them, by 
too suddenly taking the impression of outward objects. 
While thus disposed, and after the first nap is taken, 
they amuse themselves with opening their huge jaws to 
their widest extent, upon the inside of which, instinct- 
ively settle, thousands of mosquitoes and other noxious 
insects which infest the abode of the alligator. When 
the inside of the mouth is thus covered, the reptile brings 
his jaws together with inconceivable velocity, gives a 
gulp or two, and again sets his formidable trap for this 
small game. 
Some years since, a gentleman in the southern part 
of Louisiana, on “opening a plantation,’ found, after 
most of the forest trees had been cleared off, that in the 
centre of his land was a boggy piece of low soil, nearly 
twenty acresin extent. This place was singularly infest- 
ed withalligators. Among the first victims that fell a prey 
to their rapacity, were a number of hogs and fine poultry ; 
