Journey Down to Shanghai from Taihu Lake The headquarters of the Royal Asiatic Society, Museum Road, will soon be acquiring the reputation of a home for friendless reptiles. First a pangolin found destitute in Route Frelupt, and then—three alligators who were brought all the way. from Taihu Lake, near "Soochow, by a trusting motive sherman. The three Gulla friendly-looking creatures were Drought to the Royal Asiatic Society headquarters on July 23 In the hope that through this means they might find a buyer, The price asked resent is a lump sum of $50 for all three, which include a mother and her two sons. 'They are quite a handsome family, and" comparatively harmless in their present state, with their jaws securely fastened' with string, 'A. "North-China Herald" representative who called at. their tem~ porary quarters in a. small. room situated just Inside the entrance to the building found the alligators in no mood to receive visitors. AParently overcome by the heat, they were all three lying motionless, and ald no apparent attention to the in= traders, "Even when forcibly dragged by their Keeper, a member of the museum staff out into the entrance hall for the purpose of a photograph, they remained rather rudely inaiten: ive to their admirers. smile Please!"
But when it was found necessary to carry them out onto the pavement Outside In order to do justice 10 their ood looks in a photograph, they suddenly awakened into activity. They. id not care at all for the crowd of curious onlookers which Immediately gathered" around Perhaps them, deal of attention there as it is be-Hevea that they will be the Arst of their species to be taken across to the American Continent. There a three zoos in "America which are especially interested in. reptiles, the St. Louis, the Washingion, and the New York Museums, the St. Louis being the museum which will prob: ably be presented with the alligators by Mr, Smith.
Advances towards those nearest her, and fnaily took Into her head to dive underneath a car. With shouts and screams from all sides, and two. oF three Chinese coolles "hanging. des-Derately on to her lengthy' tail, she was eventually brought back again, and after a hurried' photograph oF, two had been taken, the three rep-les were taken back 10 their quart ers once again, Brought for $35, Animal (or reptile), lovers who may have been perturbed at the news Fomurding the sad plight of three homeless alligators which were brought down' to Shanghai from 'Talhw Lake by a hopeful, but some~ what misguided, native' sherman, and deposited within "the friendly portals of the Royal Asiatic Society headquarters, will be cheered by the news that, out of sheer sympathy for the creatures outcast far from their native haunts, a well-known, naturalist has bought the three of them for the sum of $95.
The fisherman wil now be able to re turn to the Lake without the feeling. that he has made a long journey. for nothing, while the reptiles themselves are to. be deposited in the Jess field Park Zoo for the time being. Tt will not come as a shock to. learn that the name of their benefactor Mr, FT. (Ajax) Smith, the well known naturalist, who is" out in the Far East representing the Field Museum of the United. States Mr, Smith told a representative of the "North-China Herald" of his purchase in an interview on. July 24, also giving some interesting doiails of the reptiles themselves. Although mammals are Mr. 'Smith's Speciality, as a naturalist he is also interested inthe reptilian specie and "he went around to see. Mr. 'Arthur de C. Sowerby to. make plans for the future of the how arrivals, "Mr. Smith ed the fact' that. these alligators are of an exceedingly" interesting type, as they are of a distinct species, ud, as Me. Smith put It, "miles and miles away from anything else:
There are three species of alligator known, the Mississippi, the Mexican, and the Yangtze, The latter are pigmy. alligators, and are often confused the popular mind with crocodile Contrary to what is held in. some quarters, there are no alligators India, "ts these reptiles are. only known to exist in North and South America, and in Asia,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.