8 THOSE OTHER ANIMALS. 



in discovering slight peculiarities and differences that enable 

 him to divide and subdivide, to invent fresh hard names, 

 and so to deter as far as possible the general mob from 

 the study of the subject. As, roughly speaking, the crocodile 

 inhabits chiefly the Old World, while the alligator has almost 

 a monopoly of the New, the former was naturally first known 

 to man, and was an object at once of fear and admiration. 

 Its mouth was so much larger than that of man, and its 

 armour so much more perfect than anything that man 

 could contrive, that it is easy to understand the admiration 

 it excited. Our first written record of it is in Job; and 

 it is there, under the name of Leviathan, spoken of as the 

 bravest and most formidable of all creatures, as " a king 

 over all the children of pride." The Egyptians, who were 

 given to worship animals, and perhaps saw more of the croco- 

 dile than they liked, did their best to win its goodwill, and 

 elevated it to the rank of a deity. Their tame crocodiles 

 were well cared for; and although perhaps these did not 

 derive any very lively satisfaction from being adorned with 

 rings of gold and precious stones, they doubtless appreciated 

 the abundant food with which they were supplied, and the 

 feasts of cake, roast meat, and mulled wine occasionally 

 bestowed upon them. The Indian variety have had an 

 equally good time of it, and their reputation in that part 

 of the world has lasted longer than in Egypt, and indeed 

 still continues, large numbers being kept in tanks belonging 

 to some of the temples, still regarded as sacred, and fed 

 abundantly. 



The alligator of Northern and Southern America, al- 

 though it has always been held in great respect by the 

 natives, has scarcely risen to the lofty position occupied 



