PONDEROUS REPTILES 205 



third year he grew 1 foot, 7 inches, and so 

 measured 10 feet, 11 inches. Old Mose by 

 this time had grown to be twelve feet, five 

 inches, but the younger one had grown much 

 faster in comparison and had developed in 

 strength and muscular power, and was not 

 very much smaller at this time than Old Mose 

 himself. 



One would have thought that such a cun- 

 ning old rascal and bully as Old Mose would 

 have had sense enough not to bully the young 

 one quite so much, but, for some reason or 

 other, the bigger Number. Two got, the more 

 Old Mose bullied him. The other alligators 

 had a pretty bad time of it, too, but Number 

 Two always got by far the largest share; he 

 could scarcely get time to sleep unless his 

 enemy was asleep himself. 



Just to experiment as to the intelligence of 

 these reptiles, it was decided at one time to 

 try and teach them to take their food from the 

 edge of the tank instead of having it thrown 

 to them. It was thought that, not only could 

 the amount of food be better regulated, but 



