Sometimes it happens that grass and quick-growing shrubs spring up on the back of this torpid animal. As a rule these are all shaken or washed off when, with the first warm rains, the alligator rouses itself and makes for the water; but occasionally, for some reason, the mud clings and with it the plant growth, so that when the half-awakened creature slides into the water and floats stupidly off, it looks like a floating island.
In one such instance, a plover was so deceived as to build its nest in the plant-growth on the alligator's back. The living island so freighted floated slowly down the stream until it was noticed by a party of boys who were out fishing. They saw the plover rise from the little island, and suspecting a nest to be there, they gave up their fishing and rowed out to it.
They never suspected the nature of the island until they had bumped their boat rather rudely into it once or twice, and so vexed the alligator that it opened its huge mouth with a startling suddenness that brought a chorus of yells from the nest-robbers, and sent them off in a fit mood to sympathize with the plover, which was fluttering about and crying piteously at the raid upon its nest.
The poor bird was doomed to lose its nest, however, for the alligator, having at last been thoroughly roused, discovered how hungry it was, and dived down in search of food, thus washing off island, nest and all.
Yours very truly, John R. Coryell.
WRONG NAMES FOR THINGS.
Dear, dear! Here's a startling list of accusations! If any of you young wise-acres have made up your minds to write a dictionary when you grow up, here's a warning for you! Is it possible that there are so many things in the world that have been wrongly named? Just listen to this letter from my friend, M. E. L.
Dear Jack: It is odd how names mislead. The calla lily is a calla, not a lily. The tuberose is not a rose at all. The strawberry and the blackberry are not berries. German silver came not from Germany, any more than did the Turkish bath from Turkey. French calf and Russian leather are both American. There is no wax in sealing-wax, and not a bit of bone in all the whalebone in the world. China-ware is made in our own country. Pinks are not all pink. Not every one called Black is a colored person; and how very many are called Wise who are not!
Yours truly, M. E. L.