PONDEROUS REPTILES 207 



meals by the alligators in the New York 

 Zoological Park, their wide open mouths wait- 

 ing for anything which may he thrown in, 

 has now become quite an ordinary occurrence, 

 and, as it is a very interesting one, I advise 

 all who have the opportunity to go and see it. 



Old Mose continued his bullying of Number 

 Two until it was a matter of grave considera- 

 tion among the authorities as to what should 

 eventually be done with him, for it was be- 

 coming nothing less than a ease of cruelty. 



And then, one very hot day, when every- 

 thing seemed sleepy and inert, Old Mose was 

 fairly quiet and peaceable, seeming inclined 

 to sleep himself. He had been lying perfectly 

 motionless, in the way alligators have, for 

 some time, and Number Two was lying just 

 behind him, directly facing his tail and always 

 evidently on the lookout for the slightest sign 

 of movement on his enemy's part. Now, 

 whether it was because Number Two 's wrongs 

 had accumulated to the explosive point, or 

 because of the close proximity of his enemy's 

 tail will never be known, but, without the least 



