THE PLOVER. 365 



in great quantities. When the crocodile comes on shore 

 to repose, he is assailed by swarms of these gnats, which 

 get into his mouth in such numbers, that his palate, 

 naturally of a bright yellow colour, appears covered with 

 a blackish-brown crust. Then it is that this little Plover, 

 which lives on these insects, comes to the aid of the half- 

 choked crocodile, and relieves him of his tormentors; 

 and this without any risk, as the crocodile, before shut- 

 ting his mouth, takes care, by a preparatory movement, 

 to warn the bird to be off. This singular process is, 

 moreover, not confined to the crocodiles of Egypt; it 

 has been noticed in those of the West Indies, where, 

 when attacked in a similar manner by small flies, called 

 Maringouins, a little bird (Todus viridis), which lives 

 chiefly on flies and insects, performs the same kind office. 



In the above cases, the food of the bird is said to be 

 flies, but there is good reason for believing, that perfect 

 reliance may be placed on the account of Herodotus, 

 and that leeches and insects are the objects sought for; 

 as a letter from a gentleman in Calcutta was read at a 

 late meeting of the Linnsean Society, in London, describ- 

 ing certain leeches which had been taken from the throat 

 of a large alligator (which are also found to infest the 

 throat of the Gigantic Crane, or Hurgila, already men- 

 tioned) : these leeches were of various sizes, some exceed- 

 ingly minute, of a florid red when alive, semi-tranparent, 

 and thus showing the blood they had swallowed. 



In some parts of France, where Plovers fly in large 

 flocks, they are decoyed into nets spread on the ground 

 by the playing of a looking-glass, which attracts their 

 notice, with the addition of some stuffed birds, and 

 here and there a live one intermixed. In another part 

 they are hunted at night with torches, the light of which 

 attracts them. 



Woodcocks and Snipes are too well known to require 

 description, as far as their outward appearance is con- 

 cerned. But in their habits, and more particularly in 

 the migrations of the former, there is much to excite 



