372 



V Ell T Eli RATA. 



ination. It is partirularly in tlic rivers, liijToons, and swamps of Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana 

 that till' allitiutor reaehes its greatest dimensions. IJartram found immense numbers of alligators 

 and tisli in a mineral spring near the Muscpiito lliver, in Florida, though tlie water, at its exit from 

 the earth, w .i-^ marlv at the hoiliiig point, and strongly iiuprcgnated with copper and vitriol. 



(?«•/*«.< CALM .\.N : ('niiiuiii. — This includes two or three species, the most noted of which is 

 the Common Caiman or Alligator of Siiunam and (It iana, C. 2}aipcbrosns. It does not attain 

 »o great a size as ihc prtceiiing, nor is it so fierce and ^ oracious. It will not attack a man on 

 the land, nor in the water so long as he moves his legs and arms. The female deposits lier eggs 

 in a sinirje hivcr, covers them slightly with sand, and then leaves them, taking no notice even of 

 tile j)roLrcnv. C>ther species arc tlu^ Trkioxal ("aiman, C. t >-i[/onat us, und the Swollen-LLeaded 

 Caiman, C. f/il)f>ic)/is, \»>\\i found in tiiipiial America. 



^CHM.v JACALH: Jiiairr. — This also inchnlcs sev^eral species, also called Jacare and Yacare, 

 hy dit^'ereiit authors. They aj)pear to be extensively spread over tropical America, but are 

 nmst common in the rivers of Brazil. These are never known to attack men or dogs in pass- 

 ing the rivers, unless it should happen to be near the place where they have deposited their 

 egijfs ; and even then, they do not prey upon the bod\', but content themselves with the fish and 

 water-fowl which they find so plentiful in their own element. During the night they are exceed- 

 ingly active, and always keep in the water, showing only their heads above the surface, but 

 toward the middle of the day they come ashore to enjoy the heat of the sun; they then sleep 

 jirofuundly, but always retreat to the water on being disturbed. The eggs are about the size of 

 those of a goose; they arc white, and much sought after by the Indians, who eat them and also 

 the flesh of the animal, though it has a strong musky smell, and scarcely any juice. The 

 female deposits her eggs in the sand in a single layer, and covers them with straw or leaves ; few 

 of them, however, escape the quick eye of the vulture, and even many of the young fall a prey 

 to the full-grown males, which at the period of their first appearance, in the hottest part of sum- 

 mer, arc particularly fierce and ravenous, the marshes which they inhabit being then dried up, 

 and their food difficult to obtain. The species of Jacare or Yacare are the Broad-headed Yacare, 

 J. Jtssipes ; the Yacare, /. sclerojys ; the Black Yacare, J. nigra ; the Spotted Yacare, J. 

 punctulatus ; and Natterer's Yacare, t/. r'ff/^//)-o?is. 



THE NIMBLE LIZARD. 



ORDER 3. SAURIA. 



As a general rule the animals of this order have four well-developed legs, and come under the 

 popular designation of Lizards; but there is a considerable number grouped with these which 



k 



