S27 
1811 ] Description of an Alligator from Jamaica, 
shutter, which is of wood, in the hole at 
the top; and that prevents them from 
going into the upper hive, I then in¬ 
vert it in a bucket, and strike it with a 
rod till I think tliey are all out, after 
which they go into the under hive. 
Another gentleman recommends the 
tollowing: remove the hive into a dark¬ 
ened roojn, that it may appear to the 
bees as if it was late in the evening ; 
then gently itivert the hive, and place it 
between the frames of a chair, 'or any 
other steady support, and cover, jt with 
an en)pty hive, raised a little towards 
the window, to give the bees sufficient 
light to guide their ascent; hold the 
empty hive, steadily supported on the 
edge of the full hive, between the left 
side and arm, and continue striking with 
the right hand round the full hive, from 
the bottom upwards; and the bee’s, being 
frightened by the noise, will ascend into 
the other. Repeat the strokes, rather 
quick than strong, round the hive, till 
all the bees are gone out of it, which 
will be in about five minutes. As soon 
as a number of bees have got into the 
empty hive, it should he raised a little 
irorn the full one, that they may not re¬ 
turn, but continue to ascend : when they 
are all out of the full hive, that in which 
they are must be placed on the stand, to 
receive the absent bees as they return 
from the fields. 
Toddington, Bedfordshiref J. P. 
Sept. 24, 1811. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
S the public in general seem to be 
of opinion that there is a distinction 
between the aiiimals called crocodiles 
and the alligators, which seems very 
doubtful; I took an opportunity, lately, 
of very carefully both examining and 
drawing one of the latter, lately brought 
by the ship Elizabeth, to this port, from 
the Black River, in the island of Ja¬ 
maica; having been caught when very 
young by her carpenter. 
This alligator is not above two feet 
long, and, as far as I can observe, exactly 
resembles those animals which have been 
frequently exhibited in London, (both 
dried and living) as crocodiles of the 
Nile. Inhahitmg swamps and rivers, it 
is an animal difficult to catch, as at the 
least noise, being amphibious, it drops 
tender water like a frog or water-newt; 
and, being generally in company with the 
parents, whose size renders th«au for* 
liloiVTHLY Mao, No. 219, 
midable enemies to man or beast, and 
who seem to prefer negro fle^h to white, 
few persons ar^ willing to undertake the 
business of ensnaring them. 
Ttiis female, in warm weather, prefers 
being out of water for a long time; and 
one of its habits has shewn me, why it 
moves the upper and not the under jaw; 
for, when out of water, it reposes the 
head on the table, lifting up the upper 
mandible, and thus it remains till the 
mouth has flies in it, on which it in«= 
stantly drops the jaw, like a trap-door, 
over the imprisoned snflerers. And 
thus, no doubt, it reposes it at the bot¬ 
tom of rivers to take in eels or other 
fishes; its temper seems gentle when not 
irritated, and, young as it is, it already 
knovvs its feeder; but when provoked bj 
a cat or dog, it has already seized them. 
The manner in which its teeth are set, 
seems particularly calculated for taking 
and holding eels, as there are two waves 
in each jaw that enable it to press tlie 
prey out of a right line; the sharpness 
of its teeth, which are like fangs, and 
longest at each extremity of these waving 
indentures, also greatly aid its hold. In 
closing, there is reason to think they 
cross each other, but this I could not 
exactly ascertain. In the fossil ones I 
found that always the case, and ob¬ 
servable in that of Mr. P. Hawker, of 
Stroud, which, like this, is a sharp-nosed 
alligator. The rows of teeth above and 
below, consi.st almost generally of thirty- 
six in each jaw, and are white as ivory, 
curved a little, long, and pointed. At 
the extremity of the nose on the upper 
side is a circular membrane, darker than 
the rest of the skin, and having two 
valves in the form of two small crescents, 
both of which it opens for air at the same 
time, though but rarely; above the eyes, 
which have nictating membranes, are 
two strong plates of bone; next come* 
the hinge of the npper-jaw, with four 
studs or scales, and behind them two 
plates, like shields; then the neck, after 
which four plates make the commence¬ 
ment of a process that extends to the 
point of the tail. The whole of what may 
he properly termed the tail (com¬ 
mencing below the anus, which is a rino- 
of scales) consists of thirty-six joints, 
eighteen double-finned, and eighteen 
single-finned above; and this rule held 
good with two dried animals, called 
crocodiles, now in Mr. Bullock’s Mu¬ 
seum. 
The arms before resemble the lizard’s, 
2 T and 
