NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 311 



very quick-sighted on land ; and because it lives for the 

 most part in the water its mouth is filled with leeches. 

 All other birds and beasts avoid him, but he is at peace 

 with the trochilus, because he receives benefit from that 

 bird. For when the crocodile gets out of the water on 

 land and then opens its jaws, which it does most com- 

 monly towards the west, the trochilus enters its mouth 

 and swallows the leeches : the crocodile is so well pleased 

 with this service that it never hurts the trochilus.* 



Upon this foundation succeeding writers have raised 

 their fantastic structures, and we proceed to give one or 

 two modes of telliug the same story : — 



All the clay time the crocodile keepeth upon the land, hut he 

 passeth the night in the water : and in good regard of the season 

 he doth the one and the other. "Wlien he hath filled his helly 

 with fishes, he lieth to sleep upon the sands in the shore : and for 

 that he is a great and greeche devourer, someivhat of the meat 

 sticketh evermore between his teeth. In regard whereof conieth 

 the wren, a little bird called there trochilos, and the king of birds 

 in Italy : and shee for her victual's sake, hoppeth first about his 

 mouth, falleth to peeking or picking it with her little neb or bill, 

 and so forward to the teeth, which she cleanseth, and all to make 

 him gap. Then getteth shee within his mouth, which he openeth 

 the wider, by reason that he taketh so great delight in this her 

 scraping and scouring of his teeth and chaws. Now when he is 

 lulled as it were fast asleep with this pleasure and contentment of 

 his : the rat of India, or ichneumon, spieth his vantage, and seeing 

 him lye thus abroad gaping, whippeth into his mouth, and shooteth 

 himselfe downe his throat as quicke as an arrow, and then gnaweth 

 his bowels, eateth a hole through his belly, and so killeth him.f 



Scaliger, somewhat scandalized that Pliny had made 

 the bird a wren, was of opinion that it should be de- 

 scribed ; and the trochilus then came out of the size of 

 a thrush, with an acute crested feather, which it had the 

 power of erecting, so as to prick the palate of the croco- 

 dile if he should close his jaws and shut her in. Aldro- 

 vand backs this doctrine by a reference to Leo's work on 



* Ibid. Gary. t Holland's Pliny. 



