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 
