SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT OF THE SPECIES. 207 
it may untwist the rope. This happened to me on one occasion when I left one tied to a tree 
whose branches were above the surface ef the water of a lagoon. Upon returning a few 
days later I found the rope untwisted and the captive gone. Another method of killing the 
Cocodrilo is used by the hunters of the Cienaga de Zapata. The animal is approached 
stealthily by the hunter with a machete in his right hand and his hat in the other, the latter 
is moved slightly and upon being noticed is attacked by the Cocodrilo. At the rush the 
man deftly cuts through the beast’s neck with his machete severing the spinal column which 
disables him. Care must be taken not to get within reach of the blows of the Cocodrilo’s 
tail, as it is well known that mutilated reptiles live for a long time, weeks, and sometimes 
for months. I had an example of this in my room, where I had killed for mounting a Coco- 
drilo brought from the Cienaga. I quickly skinned him leaving the head attached to the skin, 
and while cleaning it I touched a nerve and the mandibles at once contracted, while I still 
had both»my arms in the beast’s mouth; it became necessary to place a stick between the 
jaws to keep them open. To catch them with a lasso, one must tie within the noose and to it, 
a piece of meat that will float, as for instance a lung or a dead bird; the Cocodrilo upon seiz- 
ing it will shake it, thus tightening the noose about its upper jaw. It is better that the noose 
be made of untwisted strands of Majagua bark which will enter the better between the teeth 
and not slip. 
“Still another way of taking him is when he comes ashore at an accustomed place; 
a strong pole or light sapling is firmly placed upright in the ground, a noose is attached to 
the upper end of it, it is then bent over, the noose being held close to the ground by a trigger, 
which upon being stepped on by the Cocodrilo springs the trap lifting the victim into the air, 
hanging him. 
“The fat of both species is used as_a remedy for certain diseases of horses; while those 
parts of the hide which are free from the larger scales are used in the manufacture of footwear; 
the penis of the male after being crushed into powder is used in curing lockjaw, and is sup- 
posed to have antispasmodic virtues. The eye-teeth (canine-teeth) after being adorned 
with gold or silver are used as punk-holders for the flint fire-lighting apparatus. To the 
smaller teeth has been attributed virtue in facilitating teething, when they are made into a 
necklace and hung about a child’s neck. 
“T should also mention that these animals will live for a long time without food or drink 
as I am personally sure of this from the following experience. I received at the beginning 
of February a small Cocodrilo about two-thirds of a yard in length from my friend Poey; 
the specimen was tied to a board with its mouth closed. I was afraid to place it in the same 
pen where I had my large Cocodrilo lest the larger should do harm to the smaller creature, 
so I left the animal as I received it, without food, drink, or bathing, till the middle of July 
of the same year, when I finally was forced to place it in the yard with the large one, as I 
had been unable to construct a separate pen. He seemed to be none the worse for his long 
fast, showing no sign of weakness. In this case the larger animal did no harm to the new 
arrival, but on another occasion a small Cocodrilo was swallowed, head first, by the larger 
one. 
“The labourers of the Cienaga cut off the tail of the young Cocodrilos for food. I was 
anxious to try this morsel, and did so with my friend Mr. Chas. Wright. It was cooked as 
if it were lobster and was very savoury indeed; I should imagine that an adult would be unfit 
to eat, as also the Caiman, which has a strong musky odor. Poey on page 106, vol. 2 of his 
Repertorio, adds a note to my “Revista y Catalogo de los Reptiles Cubanos” saying that 
he had tasted the tail “finding in it a strong disagreeable musky taste.” Perhaps my friend 
was given the tail of the Caiman instead of that of the Cocodrilo. 
“There is a general belief that a Cocodrilo cannot capture a person or an animal if the 
