The Biology of the Crocodilia 29 



country stores, and about $1.10 cash, at the tan- 

 neries. Those measuring seven feet are worth 

 $1.55, six feet, $1.12; four feet, 52 cents, and three 

 feet, 25 cents. Little demand exists for those 

 under three feet in length" (Report Commissioner 

 of Fish and Fisheries, 1902, p. 345). Hides of 

 seven feet are in most demand, those over ten feet 

 are not much used. The income of the hunters is 

 largely increased by the sale of otter, bear, deer, 

 and other skins. 



The different varieties of skins are described 

 by Stevenson (74) as follows: 



"There are several distinct varieties of alligator 

 skins on the markets, the most important being 

 the Floridian, Louisianian, and Mexican; each 

 differs from the others in certain well-defined 

 characteristics, and owing to these differences 

 each variety has its special uses. 



"The Florida skins are longer in the body — that 

 is, from the fore legs to the hind legs — than those 

 from Louisiana and Mexico, and consequently 

 they are largely in demand by manufacturers of 

 large handbags. They also have a number of 

 so-called 'buttons' or 'corn marks' on the inside 

 or under surface of an equal number of the scutes 

 resulting from imbedded horn-like tissues in the 

 center of those scales. These increase the difficulty 

 in tanning the skins and detract somewhat from 

 the appearance of the finished article, and for this 

 reason the Florida skins are ordinarily the cheapest 



