Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/441

ALLIBONE. from Socrates to Macaulay, with indexes to the 8810 quotations, containing the names of 544 authors and 571 subjects (1876); Explanatory Questions on the Gospels and the Acts (1869), An Alphabetical Index to the New Testament (1868), Indexes to Edward Everett's Orations and Speeches (1850-59). AL'LICE, or AL'LIS (Fr. alose, from Lat. alausa). A European shad (Alosa vulgaris) about twenty inches long, caught for food when ascending the rivers to spawn. It is the larger, and considered the better of the two species of European shad, of which the other is called the twaite. These are the maifisch of the Rhine Valley. ALLIER, a'lya'. A department in central France (Jlap: France, K 5). It is formed mainly out of the old province of Bourbonnais. Area, 2848 square miles; population, in I'JOl, 422,024. Capital, Moulins. ALLIES. A tributary of the Loire, which has its source in the water-shed in the east of the department of Loz&re, France (Map: France, K 6). It flows in a northerly direction, through Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Drmie, and Allier, and after a course of more than 200 miles falls into the Loire below the town of Nevers. It is navigable for 140 miles. AL'LIGA'TION (Lat. aUigare, to bind to. tie up). A form of proportion of eastern origin, which appears in the early works of Arabian and Hindu writers, notably in the Lilavati of Bhaskara Aeharya (e. 1150). The process was for several centuries confined to problems concern- ing the combination of metals. Two forms of alligation were recognized: viz., alligation medial and alligation alternate. Alligation medial teaches the method of finding the price or quality of a mixture of several simple ingredients whose prices or qualities are known; e.g.. What is the fineness of gold produced by mixing 6 ounces of gold 22 carats fine with 4 ounces of gold 17 carats fine? Alligation alternate teaches what amount of each of several simple ingredients, whose prices or qualities are known, must be taken to form a mixture of any required price or quality: e.g., How much gold 700 fine and 900 fine nuist lie melted together to produce gold 800 fine? Problems of this kind are indetermi- nate; that is, they have more than one solution, and are best treated by algebraic equations. Al- ligation in its arithmetic form has practically disappeared from recent text-books, and may be regarded as obsolete. AL'LIGATOR (Sp. el lagarto. the lizard, Lat. hiccrfns, lizard). A genus of reptiles of the family Crocodilidoe. True alligators difTer from crocodiles in the following respects: The feet are less webbed, the head is sliorter and flatter, the long first and fourth teeth of the under jaw fit into pits in the upper jaw, and not into notches between the teeth, and this causes the whole head to be broader and the snout more obtuse than in crocodiles. There are only three species of alligators, according to Professor E. D. Cope, — the jacare and cayman (q.v.) of Central and South America being classified in a distinct genus. These species are: Allit/ator helo'is (habitat unknown). Alligator Sinensis, of China, and Allifiator Mississippiensis, of the southern United States. Among the Neocene fossils of the south of England are remains of an alligator, or of a form that approaches very near to it; but this single species comprises all extinct species known, showing that the genus is of very modern origin. Their characteristics are large- ly those of the other crocodilians (sec Croco- dile): activity at night, ollensive and defensive swinging of the tail, bellowing, cgg-laj'ing, etc.; but they are less aquatic than the typical croco- diles, and spend much of their time basking in the sun on land. The alligator of the United States originally ranged from North Carolina to the Rio Grande along the coast, and up the larger rivers, ascending the Jlissi.ssippi as far as Jef- ferson Count}', Sliss., about latitude 32°; and in favorable places it used to be enormously abun- dant. It is now rarely seen north of Florida or the coast swamps of Louisiana; and the constant 2iersecution of it for sport, its hide, ivory, or eggs is fast leading toward its extermination. It is estimated by the Linited States Fish Com- mission that 3,000,000 alligators were killed in Florida alone between 1880 and 1!)00. This alli- gator reaches about sixteen feet in length when fully grown, and then is greenish black above, having lost the yellowish color-bands that belong to its earlier years. It sjiends most of the day asleep in the sun on a mud bank or log, slipping into the refuge of the water when disturbed. It is timid and quick to retreat, rarely showing any dispo.sition to attack a man, though boats are sometimes followed. When cornered, or caught upon the hook and hauled ashore, or, as is some- times done, captured and bound with a rope when asleep, the animal proves an ugly customer, rushing with formidable ojien jaws at its ene- mies, and striking from siile to side with its powerful tail. They are strong and active swim- mers, and always on the lookout for swimming animals like muskrats or dogs, and sportsmen have often lost in this manner dogs that have ventured or been sent into the water after game. Alligators lie in wait in shallows, or close to the shore, for such prey also, yet their main fare is fish, salamanders, and the like. Like other crocodilians, it carries its prey to the bottom to be devoured, and then its windpipe and ears are closed against admission of water. The body of the alligator emits a fetid odor, and its flesh, which is white and tender, has a musky taste, yet is eaten by the Indians and some others. During the colder months it burrows into the swamp mud and hibernates, the depth and length of this torpidity being greater, of course, in the more northerly parts of its habitat. Consult Belt, Naturalist in Nicaragua (London, 1888).

The breeding of the alligator is thus described by Dr. Hugh M. Smith {Bulletin United States Fish Commission, XL, 1891): "The maternal alligator in April or JMay seeks a sheltered spot on a bank, and there builds a small mound. The foundation of the mound is of mud and grass, and on this she lays some eggs. She covers the eggs with another stratum of grass and mud, upon which she dejiosits some more eggs. Thus she proceeds until she has laid from 100 to 200 eggs. The eggs in the course of time are hatched by the sun. assisted by the heat which the decomposition of the vegetable material generates. As soon as they have 'chipped the shell' the baby alligators are led to the water by the mother, who provides them with food which she disgorges, showing much anxiety for their safety. At this early period of their existence they are exposed to many dangers, being a favorite prey of fishes and