File:Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. (1873) (14563137877).jpg

Identifier: reptilesbirdspo00figu (find matches)
Title: Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting.
Year: 1873 (1870s)
Authors: Figuier, Louis, 1819-1894 Gillmore, Parker
Subjects: Birds Reptiles
Publisher: New York : D. Appleton and Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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into the lake.Many children of poor negro women become a prey to the alligatorsof this locality. They rarely, however, pursue men, yet they wouldnot hesitate to do so if imprudently thrown within their power. The natives of Mexico, when they find an isolated alligatorasleep, throw a lasso round its body, and, when secured, gag it.After this, the victims career is terminated by repeated blows on thehead. There is another means which the Indians use to capturethis animal. They provide themselves with four pieces of hardwood about a foot long, and as thick as a mans finger, and pointedat each end; round these they tie a cord in such a manner that,supposing the cord to be an arrow, the four sticks would form the 140 REPTILES AND BIRDS. head of it. Round this is fastened some meat, the end of the cordbeing secured to a tree. This device is thrown into the water.When the caiman snaps at the prey the points of the sticks, onstraining the hne, penetrate into its flesh. Having waited till the
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Fig. 32.—Alligator. captive is dead, it is drawn from the water, when the captors gratifytheir dislike and spirit of revenge by crushing in its skull. Another method of capturing Alligators is practised by theresidents on the upper waters of the giant river Orinoco. A tree isbent (generally a bamboo is selected, from its elasticity) till the top isbrought down to the butt, a bait is then placed on a sharp hook, theline attached to it being fastened securely to the small end of thebent tree, which is caused to relax its position by an ingenious piece CROCODILES. 141 of mechanism which gives way the moment the least strain is feltupon the line; the tree-point becoming thus released, straightensitself with great velocity, and drags the victim from the water. Frequently the alligator, from constant pursuit and interruption,becomes excessively wary and difficult to destroy) when such is thecase, a live bait is sometimes successfully employed. For instance,a dog with a hook tied to his ba

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