The process of digestion with them, as with all reptiles, is very slow; hence they do not require such quantities of food as the warm-blooded animals--mammals and birds.

For instance, they bury themselves in the mud, and lie asleep during the whole winter without any food." "You say fish is their favourite food, Luce," said Basil; "now I think they are fonder of dogs than anything else.

I have often known them to come where they had heard the yelping of a dog as if for the purpose of devouring it.

I have seen one seize a large dog that was swimming across the Bayou Boeuf, and drag him under, as quick as a trout would have taken a fly.

The dog was never seen again." "It is very true," replied Lucien, "that they will eat dogs, as they will any other animals; but their being particularly fond of them is a point about which naturalists differ.