212 AUSTRALIAN CROCODILES 



selves from the sand, and if not soon released by the mother^ 

 perish by suftbcation. The development of the embryo takes 

 about three months'. 



Both species of Australian Crocodiles are represented in the 

 mounted cyllection in the Queensland Hall of the local Museum^ 



An accouut of the Crocodile would scarcely be complete 

 without some notice being taken of the " Crocodile-bird," of the 

 Nile. This is a species of spur-winged Plover (Hoplopteriis 

 spinosus, Linn), which is credited with habitually entering the 

 mouth of the crocodiles, when sunning themselves on 

 the sandbars of that river, for the purpose of 

 extracting the portions of food which may have 

 become wedged between the teeth of the reptile. The 

 habit was first noticed by Aristotle, who was followed by 

 Herodotus and .^lian, all these authors claiming to give their 

 narratives directly from the accounts of eye-witnesses. From 

 the time of the latter author there is a hiatus in the history of 

 the relations existing between the bird and its host until the 

 time of Giovanni Leone, who about the year 1600 A. D. reiterates 

 the story, apparently from personal observation. Some 119 

 years later Paul Lucas again claims to have witnessed the entry 

 of the bird and the closure of the crocodile's mouth upon it, the 

 reptile, according to the natives, being subsequently induced to 

 open its mouth to allow of the bird's escape on account of the 

 irritation caused by the infliction of wonnds on the inside of the 

 mouth by the sharp wing-spur. The most recent and detailed 

 account is that of Mr. Cook (Ibis, ]893, p. 275), which at once 

 sets at rest all doubts which may have been entertained as to the 

 older accounts being mere " travelers' stories." After giving 

 the reasons which induced him and his companion to watch the 

 reptiles and their satellites and the means employed for making 

 such observations without frightening the principals he goes on 

 to say : — " We watched patiently until about noon, when two 

 large crocodiles came out of the water on to the bank, and 

 apparently were soon asleep. Several crocodile birds commenced 

 flitting over them, and through our field glasses we watched one 

 bird and saw it deliberately go up to a crocodile, apparently 

 asleep, which opened its jaws. The bird hopped in, and the 

 crocodile closed its jaws. In what appeared to be a very short 

 time, probably not more than a minute or two, the crocodile 

 opened its jaws, and we saw the crocodile bird go down to 

 the water's edge. As the sand bank was, I should say, at 



