22 The Alligator and Its Allies 
was found in any other nest; while in other nests 
that were twice as large as this one were found less 
than half as many eggs, showing that there is no 
relation between the size of the nest and the number 
of eggs. The average number of eggs per nest, 
in the twelve nests that were noted, was thirty-one. 
One observer reported a nest that contained sixty 
eggs, but this, if true, was a very unusual case. 
Reports of still larger numbers of eggs in one nest 
probably refer to crocodiles, which are said to lay 
one hundred or more eggs in a nest. Although 
crocodiles may be found in certain parts of Florida, 
the writer has had no opportunity of observing 
their nesting habits. 
The eggs are laid in the nest without any apparent 
arrangement. After the nest has been prepared, 
and has had time to settle properly, the alligator 
scrapes off the top, and lays the eggs in a hole 
in the damp, decaying vegetation; the top of the 
nest is again rounded off, and it is impossible to 
tell, without examination, whether the nest con- 
tains eggs or not. 
As to whether the same nest is used for more 
than one season there is a difference of opinion 
among alligator hunters, and the writer has had 
no opportunity of making personal observations. 
While it is usually stated that the eggs are in- 
cubated by the heat of the sun, it is held by some 
observers that the necessary heat is derived not 
from the sun but from the decomposition of the 
