i8 A NATURAL HISTORY 



Hrs Mouth is very wide, and is extended to the Ears; his 

 Snout and Eyes Uke thole of Swine ; the Teeth, which are in- 

 grail'd, are white, acute, ftrong and numerous ; the Feet arm'd 

 with {harp Claws ; the Skin of the Belly is tender and may be 

 eafily penetrated, but the other parts of the Body are not pene- 

 trable by Swords and Arrows : It defies even the Wheels of a 

 loaded Cart, as well as Darts and Spears : It is of a yellow Co- 

 lour, fay fome ; but Worinius in Mr. Raf's, Synopjis fays, that thofe 

 he had kcn^ were inclin'd to the grey or afh Colour. 



The Tail is near as long as the Body, upon which are Fins of 

 a Fifh, whereby he is capacitated to fwim. When he ftrikes 

 with his Claws, he tears with his Teeth, and grinds the very 

 Bones of what he kills into Powder. In Winter he lives much 

 without Food, but in Summer, his Suflenance is of the animal 

 kind, but is moft fond of human Flefh ; and as he is an amphi- 

 bious Creature, plunders both Elements *. 



The Crocodile, when preft with Hunger, fwallows Stones, 

 which have been found worn round about, and the wafted parts 

 reduced to fuch minute Particles, as were fit to circulate with the 

 Mafs of Blood f . 



I N Egypt the Crocodile is made the Object of religious Adora- 

 tion, but not by all the Nation ; for the Inhabitants of Tentyra 

 (an Ifland formed by the River Nilus) were fo far from worfliip- 

 ping that hateful Monfter, that they defpifed it, and often brought 

 them to the Roman Shews for Diver fion.— This Averfion to 

 Crocodiles caufed a War between the Tentyriam and the other 

 Egyptians, who worfhip'd thofe Creatures ; of which People Job 

 feems to fpeak in the following Words ; Let thefn curfe it that ciirje 

 the day, who are ready to raife up their Mourning, Job iii. 8. Some 

 read it, to raife up the Leviathan, or to awake the Crocodile j of 

 which yob gives an admirable Defcription, under the Name of 

 Leviathan, Job xli, i, 2, 3, 4. ... So the Pfalmift, Thou breakeji 

 the Heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gavejl him to be Meat to the 

 People inhabitifig the Wildernejs, 



When I think of the fuperilitious Egyptians warring againfl 

 the People of Tentyra, I can't but obferve how the fame kind of 

 Spirit (the more the pity) too often reigns among Chriftians : 

 Thole who have ridicul'd Superflition, and endeavour'd to pro- 

 pagate 



* JonJio7iuSj 141. i Niere?nbergius. 



