The caudal muscles at the base of 
the tail are of the most powerful des- 
cription, so that a single blow from 
it may kill a man, or crush in the side 
of a canoe. 
LL alligators possess a rounded 
snout, while in crocodiles it is 
pointed and somewhat elongated. The 
latter inhabit the swamps, rivers and 
bayous of the lower part of the Florida 
peninsula only, while alligators still oc- 
cur in not a few parts of the south- 
eastern sections of the United States. 
On account of its form and bigger 
bones, a full-grown alligator will weigh 
fully one-third more than a crocodile of 
similar proportions or age. They are 
readily distinguished through the lat- 
ter having a pointed snout and a some- 
what different arrangement of the 
teeth. Young alligators are prettily 
banded with yellow, but these have 
disappeared in the black hide of their 
parents. A few albinos have been met 
with—or parti-colored specimens—but 
they are very rare. Many years ago 
there was one of the latter sort in the 
Bronx Park collection, in New York 
City. 
Both crocodiles and alligators are 
now being rapidly exterminated in 
nature by those who hunt them. Fif- 
teen-foot specimens of the latter are no 
longer met with; indeed, should one of 
two or three feet less length than this 
be captured in these days, the case 
would call for a newspaper account 
giving full particulars. 
A big bull alligator can readily swal- 
low at a gulp a puppy weighing seven 
or eight pounds, or a fowl of a similar 
size. 
These enormous reptiles lay rough- 
shelled, white eggs of an ellipsoidal 
form, a large number of them being 
found to the clutch in the earth-made 
“nests” of the female. However, the 
nest is so conspicuous that tourists 
have no trouble in finding it, and fre- 
quently all the eggs are stolen to be 
distributed as mementoes of the “trip 
to Florida.” 
HROUGHOUT the Southern States 
many people eat these eggs, and 
as a consequence there are those who 
gather them for the markets—especi- 
ally negroes. This indiscriminate de- 
struction of their eggs naturally became 
one of the causes leading to the present 
searcity of alligators and crocodiles 
where formerly, and not so long ago, 
they were quite abundant. Taking es- 
pecially into consideration the slaugh- 
ter of these saurians for “sport” and 
for the trade, Dr. Hugh M. Smith says, 
in the Fish Commission Bulletin of 
18915 (X1.,. p. 343): “It is estimated 
that 2,500,000 were killed in Florida 
between 1880 and 1894,” 

Many observations have been made 
upon the rate of growth of alligators, 
and to some extent on crocodiles; and 
in respect to the former Doctor Dit- 
mars tells us that in 1900 he collected 
a set of thirty-seven alligator eggs, out 
of which lot five hatched out. 
‘“*A T the time of hatching, the young 
alligators were eight inches long 
weighed one and three-eighths 
ounces. One year after hatching, they 
were again measured and weighed. 
Their average length was 19 inches, 
and their weight nine and one-fourth 
ounces, showing an increase of ten 
inches in length. In August of 1902 
their average length was 23 inches and 
average weight 13 pounds. In March 
of 1903 the young alligators were three 
feet and nine inches long; they weighed 
fourteen pounds. At the time of this 
measurement they were but two and 
a half years old, yet had increased 
thirty-seven inches in length. 
and 
“The last measurements of this series 
of specimens were made on November 
17th, 1905, and demonstrate a surpris- 
ing rate of growth. The specimens 
showed an average length of five feet, 
six inches, and a weight of fifty 
pounds.” 
It is very probable that these ani- 
mals have a more rapid rate of growth 
(Continued on page 180) 

A big bull alligator can readily swallow at a gulp a puppy weighing seven or eight pounds, or a fowl of similar size 
147 
