CROCODILE. 



175 



still asserted in some of the works on natural history ; 

 and it is easy to see that such a motion would do 

 them harm rather than good. 



There are some of the serpents which can not only 

 turn both jaws till they are in the same plane, but 

 distend the opening considerably beyond the mere 

 measure of the two jaws, when they have occasion to 

 swallow large prey. But the mouths of these serpents 

 do not form an analogy for the mouths of the 

 crocodile family. In serpents, the mouth is generally 

 only a swallowing apparatus, and those which capture 

 large prey are cither poisoning serpents, which kill 

 by the fangs, or crushing serpents, which kill by the 

 folds. The crocodiles, on the other hand, are biting 

 animals, which kill with the mouth ; and such animals 

 would have little or no power if they had a motion 

 in both jaws. The action of muscle against muscle 

 in an animal, would be the least profitable way in 

 which it could exert its strength, as the effect would 

 be only equal to the difference of the exertions after 

 the stronger muscle had forced the weaker one to a 

 state of rest; and thus, the animal would lose an 

 effort equal to double that made by the weaker 

 muscle. There are no such mechanical bungles as 

 this in nature ; and it is a good rule in judging of the 

 truth of what is alleged of any animal, to consider 

 whether that which is alleged is consistent with the 

 utmost perfection of mechanical skill the producing 

 of the greatest effect by the least exertion ; and if this 

 is not the case, we may rest assured that that which 

 is alleged is not true. 



The nostrils of the crocodile are formed externally 

 of two slits which cross each other, the angular pieces 

 between serving as little valves to close the aperture 

 when necessary ; they lead by a long canal through 

 the palatal and sphenoid bones to an opening in the 

 back part of the mouth ; the ear closes externally by 

 means of two fleshy lips, which close it like valves; 

 the eyes have a third eye-lid ; and there are under 

 the throat two small holes, which lead to glands 

 secreting an unctuous matter which smells very 

 strongly of musk. So abundant is the quantity of 

 this matter, and so powerful its scent, that in warm 

 countries, where crocodiles are abundant, they per- 

 fume the whole country around the rivers. 



The vertebra in the neck of the crocodiles are 

 furnished with a sort of false ribs on the sides, which 

 hinder flexure in that direction, and thus the animal 

 cannot turn its head very readily aside, or even turn 

 its body (for animals which have the neck stiff 

 always have difficulty in turning laterally). But the 

 crocodile can turn the neck very readily, so as to 

 elevate the head till the line of it forms less than a 

 right angle with that of the body ; and it can also 

 move the head very rapidly from this elevated posi- 

 tion to one rather lower than the horizontal line. 



These motions of the neck answer better with the 

 habits of the animal than if they had been in the 

 other direction ; for the crocodiles do not pursue their 

 food either along the banks of the rivers or in the 

 water, They are liers in wait, as is the case with al 

 large and heavy animals of predatory disposition 

 unless it be those species which have the wide sea 

 for their field of chace. The crocodile is a powerfu 

 animal even upon land , but its chief scene of action is 

 in the water, where it watches by the places to which 

 land aniinals come to drink, with only the point of the 

 nose above the surface ; and as, at these times, it is 

 perfectly still, other creatures approach near it with- 



out being aware of their danger. When the animal 

 omes sufficiently near, the mouth of the crocodile 

 opens rapidly to a great extent by the bending back- 

 wards of the head and upper jaw upon the joints of 

 the neck as a centre of motion, and the moving of the 

 under jaw in the other direction upon its own articn- 

 ation. Thus, in the opening of the mouth, there is 

 a motion of both jaws from each other ; and when 

 they are again closed, the upper jaw does descend to 

 meet the lower one ; but the motion of the upper is 

 not against that of the lower, as they are not articu- 

 lated on the same centre or the same bone. Hence the 

 peculiar motion increases the force of the bite instead 

 of diminishing it ; as the bite is given with both jaws, 

 which, when they come to a state of rest, the upper 

 offers a point of solid resistance to the under. 



CROCODILES, properly so called (Crocodilus}. The 

 name "crocodile" is Greek, and means that which 

 cries, yelps, or screams, along the bank of the river. 

 The true crocodiles are the most powerful and fero- 

 cious of the race. The characters in which they 

 differ from the gavials are : the muzzle oblong and 

 depressed, the teeth of unequal length, but the four 

 front ones below do not fit into holes in the upper 

 jaw, as in the alligators. There are several species or 

 varieties; and there are in the West Indies, in the 

 rivers of the larger islands, some which have the 

 muzzle of the crocodile form. 



CROCODILE OF THE NILE (Crocodilus Niloticus). 

 This is the animal which is meant whenever the 

 crocodile is mentioned without any farther explana- 

 tion. It has long been known, and there are few 

 animals of which so many stories have been told. 

 There is not much use in repeating any of those stories, 

 though we must not judge of the animal altogether 

 from what is observed of it in Lower Egypt, which is 

 the most northerly latitude in which it is found, and 

 therefore it must have less energy than those in the 

 south. With the exception of the elephant, the 

 rhinoceros, and the hippopotamus, the bulk of the 

 crocodile perhaps exceeds that of every terrestrial 

 animal ; no fishes frequenting fresh water equal 

 it, and but a few species of those belonging to the 

 seas. The largest are not less than thirty feet in 

 length, and one of only half that size is five feet in 

 circumference ; the body stands low on the ground,, 

 and the animal universally presents a dull and sluggish 

 aspect. Nevertheless, its motions in pursuit of prep- 

 are not slow ; and the difficulty which it finds in turn- 

 ing is the surest means of escape on land ; its agility 

 in water is infinitely greater. 



These facts are better illustrated when the animal 

 is roused to action. Its natural abode is in the water, 

 for scarcely one fourth of its existence is passed on 

 the earth ; whence those narratives which affirm that 

 it lives entire months without that element, are not 

 easily to be credited. The muddy edges and thick 

 reeds of slow and tranquil streams are its favourite 

 haunts ; and it sometimes descends rivers to within 

 the flowing of the tide. On leaving them it advances 

 always with a slow pace, nearly in a straight line, its 

 belly frequently dragging on the ground, and its head 

 commonly elevated before it. However, it is seldom 

 seen standing, and its chief enjoyment seems to be 

 lying in a state of absolute quiescence. When in 

 pursuit of prey, it swims gently and silently, just on a 

 level with the water, until it approaches' the place 

 where some terrestrial animal comes to quench its 

 thirst. Then curving its tail, it strikes the animal a 



