BY J. DOUGLAS OGILBY. 213 



least half-a-mile across, and the bird's back was turned 

 towards us, we could not see whether it vomited in the 

 water or drank, but in the course of a few seconds it re- 

 turned to the crocodile, which opened its mouth again, 

 and the bird again entered. The mouth was closed, and 

 in a short time was opened again for the bird to come out, 

 and the same operation was repeated at the river-bank. We saw 

 the same bird enter the crocodile's mouth three times, and on 

 three occasions run to the water to either vomit or drink.'' 

 This succinct account incontrovertibly establishes the fact that 

 the Nile Crocodile at least is attended by a useful avian satellitei 

 and this being the case it would be strange indeed if it were the 

 only species so favored ; and so we find that Descourtilz 

 relates a somewhat similar story of the West Indian species 

 {Crocodilus americanus, Laur.) No such habit has as yet been 

 noticed in connection with our species, but that is no proof of 

 the absence of such habit ; and it would be interesting if resi- 

 dents of places where the reptiles abound would keep a careful 

 watch in order to detect any such tendency to play the host, 

 ■especially as we too have a couple of native spur- winged plovers 

 {Lobivanellus lobatus and L. miles), which could surely fill the 

 role with equal facility to the Egyptian bird. One point in Mr. 

 Cook's narrative must at once strike the reader, namely, that 

 although " several " of the Crocodile-birds were present, one only 

 appears to have entered a crocodile's mouth ; this leads us to 

 surmise whether the habit is general, or simply acquired by or 

 transmitted to certain individuals or family parties. 



