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plants with his head toward us. It was resting on the 

 mud, and one of the party was about to place his foot 

 upon it, when a lively look in the animal s eyes deterred 

 him. Stooping down, he picked up a floating branch 

 and lightly threw it in the reptile s face. The result 

 was somewhat surprising. The huge jaws opened 

 instantly, and the formidable tail came round sweeping 

 the branch into his mouth, where it was crushed and 

 ground to atoms by the rows of sharp teeth. His eyes 

 flashed fire and he rapidly glided forward. Never did 

 magician of Arabian tale conjure up a fiercer looking 

 demon by wave of his wand, than had been raised to life 

 by a motion of the branch. For a moment we were too 

 astonished to move. The huge monster seemed bent on 

 revenge, and in another instant would be upon us. We 

 then saw our danger, and quicker than a flash of light, 

 thought and action came. The next moment the gigan 

 tic saurian was made to struggle on his back, with a 

 bullet in his brain. It had entered his right eye, and 

 had been aimed so nicely as not to cut the lids. To 

 make sure of him this time we severed his jugular vein. 

 While performing this not very delicate operation, ho 

 thrust out two singular-looking glands from slits in his 

 throat. They were round and resembled a sea-urchin, 

 being covered with minute projections. They were 

 about the size of a nutmeg, and gave out a strong musky 

 odor. We then took his dimensions, and found that he 

 was over ten feet in length, while his body was larger 

 round than a flour barrel. The immense jaws were 

 three feet long, and when stretched open, would readily 

 take in the body of a man. They were armed with rows 

 of sharp white teeth. The tusks of the lower one, when 



