Another peculiarity of the alligator is its ability to sleep. Like other reptiles, it is so cold-blooded that it likes warmth and hates cold. It needs water, too, and as the dry season and the cool season come on together in Florida, there is a double reason why the Florida alligator should go into winter quarters. It buries itself in the mud after the manner of its kind and settles down for a long nap. 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. [Illustration: A LIVING ISLAND.] 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.