File:Half hours with fishes, reptiles, and birds (1906) (14751934812).jpg

Identifier: halfhourswithfis00hold (find matches)
Title: Half hours with fishes, reptiles, and birds
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Holder, Charles Frederick, 1851-1915
Subjects: Zoology
Publisher: New York, American Book Co
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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Fig. 93. - ■ Young Crocodile leavingthe Egg. 128 THE CROCODILES escaped. One night an African met the crocodile face toface, and probably having in mind the reward which hadbeen offered, sprang at the animal before it could turn,landing fairly upon it, seizing its fore legs and liftingthem over its back. This threw the caymans noseinto the sand and rendered it helpless. In vain it struckpowerful blows with its tail and endeavored to leap. Theman kept his seat and resolutely held the helpless animaluntil help came, when it was shot through the head. The alligator is the third type of crocodiles, and afamiliar animal in America, being found in numbers in the
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 94.—The Alligator. Florida swamps, where it is so assiduously hunted for itsskin that its extinction is only a matter of time. In generalappearance it resembles the crocodile, and twenty yearsago I saw the shores of the St. Johns River dotted withthem, where now they are almost unknown. The alli-gator is found in the swamps of the Gulf States, lyingon the shore during the day, with its head toward thewater, ready to slide into it at the slightest warning.Much of its time is spent basking in the hot sun, but atnight it is active, swimming about after its prey, the varioussmall animals and fishes. So active is the alligator that itcan capture large fishes with ease. It is very partial to THE BIRDS 129 dogjmeat, and it is said that the barking, yelping, orwhining of a dog will attract alligators from far and wide.When the prey is seized, the alligator holds it firmly andsinks to the bottom, allowing the animal to drown, andthen devours it. BIRDSTHE BIRDS Of all the animals the bir

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