11 



the mouth is forcibly opened, even to the greatest extent, the posterior 

 portion of the tongue is thrown up against the roof of the mouth, just 

 before the palatine arches, so as to act as a valve, completely closing the 

 passage to the pharynx, presenting from one angle of the mouth to° the 

 other internally, an even horizontal line. This arrangement must com- 

 pletely exclude water and the like from entering the posterior fauces — a 

 wise provision of nature, because, having no lips, the water must always 

 enter the mouth, when the animal is in its favorite element. It is very 

 seldom that this valve fails, even when the mouth is widely opened for a 

 long period, as an hour or more. This pressure I have often overcome, 

 with a slight force, when passing the thermometer and food into the 

 posterior fauces and gullet. The upper surface or dorsum of the 

 tongue is rough, from large papillary elevations, which are less developed 

 at the tip, but larger or redder towards the base, where, also, the sali- 

 vary secretion begins first to show itself, but the isthmus of the palate, 

 and the posterior fauces only, are well supplied with that fluid. The roof 

 of the mouth is white, dotted over with a few dark spots, rough, firm, 

 almost leather-like, and almost dry, except near the velum or palate, 

 where it is lubricated with mucosity. 



Herodotus says, that insects (iSSsXXol, hirudo,) or, as translators 

 have It, leeches, by getting into the Crocodile's mouth, suck its blood, 

 and It dies exhausted. In good faith, he naively relates, that the Trochilus* 

 IS the only animal that lives in peace with the Crocodile, into whose 

 mouth it is in the habit of going to pick out these insects— in conside- 

 ration of this service, the grateful Crocodile never injures the Trochilus, 

 St. Hilaire believed, nay proved this story, if we are to credit the Royal 

 Professor of Natural History, in the College of Henry IV, at Paris. He 

 says in his Zoology (1837), That the enemies which the Crocodile fears 

 are feeble insects ; but, singular thing ! little birds go to deliver him from 

 this plague, and entering his mouth without fear, destroy these insects. 

 " Cefait, observe par Herodote et ensinte traite de fable, a €te confirm^ 

 de nos jours par M. Geoff roy Sainte Hilaire qui accompagna VEmpereur 

 en Egypte. C'est une espece de pluvier qui rend au Crocodile du Nil ce 

 service int^ress^, et aux Antilles le todier a des liahiiudes analogues /" 

 (p. 367). A modern sailor, who, returning home, told his mother that 

 m his travels he had seen flying fish, was reproached for telling a false- 

 hood, whereupon he said, that one day in drawing up his anclfor in the 

 Red sea, he brought up one of the wheels of Pharaoh's chariot, a state- 

 ment which his mother admitted without hesitation. Verhum sat 

 sapienti. 



It is a pity to spoil so good a story — one so honorable to the politeness 

 of the feathered race, and so creditable to the reptilian character. An 

 English Baronet, Sir G. Wilkinson, in his late superb work on Egypt, 

 (London, 1843,) avers " that leeches do not abound in the Nile T 



That insects should kill Crocodiles may be true. Indeed Dr. Young, 

 of New Orleans, informed me that a young Alligator, which he had kept 



* In that magnificent work, "The New York Fauna, Mr. De Kay, gives 

 Trochilus as the generic name of the humming bird. Mr. Anthon, in his 

 antiquities says, " The Trochilus is the motacella regidus, or golden crested 

 wren. 



