126 
TRAVELS IN 
ther from her own particular neft or others : but 
certain it is, that the young are not left to lhift for 
themfelves ; for I have had frequent opportunities of 
feeing the female alligator leading about the mores 
her train of young ones, juft as a hen does her 
brood of chickens ; and me is equally affiduous and 
courageous in defending the young, which are un- 
der her care, and providing for their fubfiftence ; 
and when me is balking upon the warm banks, with 
her brood around her, you may hear the young ones 
continually whining and barking, like young pup- 
pies. I believe but few of a brood live to the years 
of full growth and magnitude, as the old feed on 
the young as long as they can make prey of them. 
The alligator when full grown is a very large 
and terrible creature, and of prodigious ftrength, 
activity, and fwiftnefs in the water. I have feen 
them twenty feet in length, and foine are fuppofed 
to be twenty-two or twenty-three feet. Their body 
is as large as that of a horfe ; their fhape exactly 
refembles that of a lizard, except their tail, which 
is flat or cuneiform, being compreffed on each fide, 
and gradually diminifhing from the abdomen to 
the extremity, which, with the whole body is co- 
vered With horny plates or fquammas, impenetra- 
ble when on the body of the live animal, even to 
a rifle-ball, except about their head and juft be- 
hind their fore-legs or arms, where it is faid they 
are only vulnerable. The head of a full-grown one 
is about three feet, and the mouth opens nearly the 
lame length ; their eyes are fmall in proportion and 
feem funk deep in the head, by means of the pro- 
minency of the brows ; the noftrils are large, in- 
flated and prominent on the top, fo that the head 
in the water refembles, at a diftance, a great 
