AFRICAN REPTILES AND BIRDS 



lizards and the chameleons, which latter are able to change 

 their color instantly from dark green to bright red, or from 

 ash-gray to an almost purple color. I have also seen a 

 couple of small scorpions, one of which had the impudence 

 to crawl into our tent, which the careless " boy " had left 

 open, as there were no mosquitoes around. The sting 

 from the tail of this scorpion is very painful, but does not 

 prove fatal to grown-up people, although children some- 

 times have been known to succumb to its efifect. 



One of the mightiest of reptiles is the crocodile, which 

 inhabits almost all the inland lakes and rivers of Africa. 

 These hideous beasts, too well known to need describing, 

 sometimes grow very audacious, and often attack, kill, 

 and devour the natives, particularly old people and little 

 children. The crocodiles on the Upper Nile are perfectly 

 enormous, sometimes attaining a length of eighteen feet, 

 and over. The strength of these beasts must be fabulous, 

 for there have been authentic reports of how one single 

 crocodile pulled down a big bull under water and killed 

 him. One of the strangest things that has probably ever 

 happened in this respect was the killing of a large bull 

 rhinoceros by a single crocodile. This animal got hold 

 of one of the hind legs of the rhino, and probably by twist- 

 ing its mighty tail around some rocks in the river bottom, 

 was able gradually to drag in the struggling quadruped 

 in spite of all its strength and bulk. Farther and far- 

 ther down into deep water the fighting couple went, 

 until other reptiles of the same kind joined the chase, 

 and soon killed and devoured the mighty beast. I should 

 hardly have been able to believe this, if I had not my- 



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