3 1 An Attempt to ascertain the Animal 



was similar in form and manners to the fierce and formidable 

 crocodile, though far exceeding it in magnitude, power, and 

 ferocity, what so likely to occur to the descriptionist as a 

 contrast, a comparison between the two ? Thus, without ex- 

 pressly mentioning the than, or common crocodile, but rely- 

 ing on the familiarity of his hearers with the known practices 

 and arts used in their capture, and with the similarity in 

 figure of the crocodile and megalosaurus, the speaker, in the 

 Book of Job, bursts into an allusion to those devices as prac- 

 tised on the crocodile, to illustrate by their futility, when ap- 

 plied to the leviathan, the immensity of the size, strength, 

 and power of the latter animal. 



He then alludes to other modes of destroying the one animal, 

 equally futile when applied to the other; thus: — a Canst thou 

 fill his skin with barbed irons ? or his head with fish spears ?" 

 (Job, ch. xli. ver. 7.) From the description given of the 

 megalosaurus, you will at once perceive it was impossible (if 

 that were the animal alluded to, as I doubt not it was) to 

 pierce his skin with barbed irons, though we have learned 

 from JVI. Bosc that the crocodile, after having been captured by 

 the upright spike in his mouth, is despatched with spears; and 

 though we have not an account of that mode of attack in 

 any ancient author I am acquainted with, yet, in Griffith's 

 Cuvier's Animal Kingdom, it is mentioned that in modern 

 Egypt they spear the crocodile to death, when he is met suffi- 

 ciently far from the water to prevent his escaping to it. 



To proceed, however : " None is so fierce that dare stir 

 him up." (Job, ch. xli. ver. 10.) Who, indeed, durst have 

 attacked a megalosaurus, or could hope for success if he did 

 so ? Yet, we have seen, there were those who voluntarily 

 irritated the crocodile to make him open his mouth, in order 

 to assist them in his capture. You will remember Pliny says 

 of the Tentyrites : after they have mounted his back, when he 

 opens his mouth they thrust a club across, and so ride him 

 to shore, as if with bridles : and, let me ask, is not this mode 

 of taking the crocodile referred to here and in the next verse? 

 " Who can come to him with his double bridle; who can 

 open the doors of his face ? his teeth are terrible round about." 

 (Job, ch. xli. ver. 13, 14.) As much as to say, "True, you 

 do all this to the crocodile ; but who can, or dare, so treat a 

 leviathan, or megalosaurus ? " 



For the remainder of this description I will, for variety's 

 sake, quote Mason Good's translation, where we have a 

 glowing description of the leviathan; but which no one can 

 fail to see answers, in every respect, to what the megalosaurus 

 must have been. " The plates of his scales are triumph, a 



