Fig. 5. A Nest of C. Porosus: Palawan, P. I.
(From a Photograph by Rowley.)
Fig. 6.—Jackson Slough; near Lake Kissimmee, Florida.
In the vicinity of this pond several alligator nests were found, either within a few yards of the edge, or on the banks of smaller “holes” which were connected with the larger pond by narrow “trails.” (From a Photograph by the Author.)
There is a great deal of variation in the size and form of the different nests, some being two meters or more in diameter and nearly a meter in height, while others are much smaller in diameter and so low as to seem scarcely more than an accidental pile of dead vegetation. It is probable that the nests are under construction for some time, perhaps to give time for the fresh vegetation of which they are composed to ferment and soften, and also for the material to settle into a more compact mass. The compactness of the alligator’s nest was well illustrated one day when the writer used an apparently deserted nest as a vantage ground from which to take a photograph: on opening this nest it was found, after all, to contain eggs, and though some of the eggs were cracked, none of them were badly crushed. This nest although it was so low and flat that it was thought to be one that had been used during some previous season, contained forty-eight eggs, a greater number than was found in any other nest; while in other nests that were twice as large as this one were found less than half as many eggs, showing that there is no relation between the size of the nest and the number of eggs. The average number of eggs per nest, in the twelve nests that were noted, was thirty-one. One observer reported a nest that contained sixty eggs, but this, if true, was a very unusual case. Reports of still larger numbers of eggs in one nest probably refer to crocodiles, which are said to lay one hundred or more eggs in a nest. Although crocodiles may be found in certain parts of Florida, the writer has had no opportunity of observing their nesting habits.
The eggs are laid in the nest without any apparent arrangement. After the nest has been prepared, and has had time to settle properly, the alligator scrapes off the top, and lays the eggs in a hole in the damp, decaying vegetation; the top of the nest is again rounded off, and it is impossible to tell, without examination, whether the nest contains eggs or not.
As to whether the same nest is used for more than one season there is a difference of opinion among alligator hunters, and the writer has had no opportunity of making personal observations.
