AI.I.K.ATOHS OI' (JUIANA 285 



and lays her e<]fgs in tlie center of tlu- liot sleaniinf>' mass. 

 Unlike the turtles which lay their e«^<4s in the sand hanks of 

 the neighhorin^- rivers, she does not desert the nest, hut re- 

 mains most ol' the day somewhere in the vicinity. She does 

 not feed there, however, l)ut daily swims to some more dis- 

 tant place. Her food consists of fish, frogs and snakes, with 

 whatever small animals or hirds can l)e ca])tured, while dead 

 creatures and even carrion are eaten without hesitation. If 

 the feeding ground is at a considera})le distance it is an easy 

 matter to o])en the nest and examine the eggs undetected, 

 hut if the alligator does not have to go far, she will return 

 at the slightest sound. 



Alligators differ considerably in their courage. Some 

 will leave the nest after a few weak protests, w^hile others 

 wall obstinately remain sprawled over their precious rubbish 

 heap and have to be killed before their nest can be robbed. 

 The mother alligator remains faithfully at her post until 

 the time of hatching, in w'hich process she gives material 

 assistance. The two and a half months of alternate drench- 

 ing and baking by rain and sun often cakes the nest mound 

 with a hard-baked crust through w^iich the gatorlings would 

 find it impossible to force their way. So the parent bites 

 into the nest, tossing the outer shell to one side until the 

 pipped eggs or the newly hatched young are exposed. When 

 this is done she rolls out the pipped eggs and pressing upon 

 them with one of her front feet, she cracks them and liberates 

 the young 'gator. The eggs which are still whole she rolls 

 back among the debris and leaves imtil the low% nasal, 

 squeaking grunts announce that more are ready to emerge. 

 The young are able to hatch by themselves, but it is usually 

 a very long operation and many die in the shells. 



I examined one which had had his little pugnosed snout 

 thrust through the end of the shell for twenty-four hours 

 and was just a])out to break a bit away from the hole when 

 the little reptile shot forth like a jack-in-the-box, freeing 

 himself completely except for his tail. He sprang from my 



