THE ALLIGATOR. 



Similar to the crocodile. 



man puts out his left arm, which the beast im- 

 mediately seizes in its mouth. He then gives it 

 several stabs below the chin, where the skin is 

 very tender ; and the water coming in at the 

 mouth, thus involuntarily held open, the creature 

 is soon destro} r ed. 



Crocodiles are occasionally tamed in many 

 parts of Africa, where they are kept in large 

 ponds or lakes, as an article of magnificence 

 with the monarchs of those regions. The Ro- 

 mans frequently exhibited these animals in theii? 

 public spectacles and triumphs. 



This creature has been said to use many sub- 

 tilties in order to allure travellers, particularly 

 that of crying like a person in distress; but 

 Bossman treats these accounts as fabulous. 



THE ALLIGATOR. 



THIS creature is similar to the crocodile, 

 only that its head, and part of the neck, are 

 more smooth than the other, and the snout con- 

 siderably wider and flatter, as well as more 

 rounded at the extremity. The length of a full- 

 grown alligator is seventeen or eighteen feet. 

 Its teeth are as white as ivory, and snuff- 

 boxes, charges for guns, and several kinds of 

 toys are made with them. Those who have eaten, 

 the flesh say it is white, and very delicious j 



