THE LIZARD KIND. 





them as furnished with strength, and impelled 

 by malignity, to do mischief; representing 

 them as the greatest enemies of mankind, and 

 particularly desirous of human prey. The 

 truth is, the animal has been justly described 

 by both ; being such as it is found in places 

 differently peopled or differently civilized. 

 Wherever the crocodile has reigned long un- 

 molested, it is there fierce, bold, and danger- 

 ous; wherever it has been harassed by man- 

 kind, its retreats invaded, and its numbers 

 destroyed, it is there timorous and inoffensive. 



In some places, therefore, this animal, in- 

 stead of being formidable, is not only inoffen- 

 sive, but is cherished and admired. In the 

 river San Domingo, the crocodiles are the 

 most inoffensive animals in nature; the chil- 

 dren play with them, and ride about on their 

 backs ; they even beat them sometimes, with- 

 out receiving the smallest injury. It is true 

 the inhabitants are very careful of this gentle 

 breed, and consider them as harmless domes- 

 tics. 



It is probable that the smell of musk, which 

 all these animals exhale, may render them 

 agreeable to the savages of that part of 

 Africa. They are often known to take the part 

 of this animal which contains the musk, and 

 wear it as a perfume about their persons. 

 Travellers are not agreed in what part of the 

 body these musk-bags are contained ; some 

 say in the ears ; some, in the parts of gene- 

 ration ; but the most probable opinion is, that 

 this musky substance is amassed in the glands 

 under the legs and arms. From whatsoever 

 part of the body this odour proceeds, it is 

 very strong and powerful, tincturing the flesh 

 of the whole body with its taste and smell. 

 The crocodile's flesh is at best very bad, tough 

 eating; but unless the musk-bags be sepa- 

 rated, it is insupportable. The Negroes them- 

 selves cannot well digest the flesh; but then, 

 a crocodile's egg is to them the most delicate 

 morsel in the world. Even savages exhibit 

 their epicures as w r ell as we ; and one of true 

 taste will spare neither pains nor danger to 

 furnish himself with his favourite repast. For 

 this reason, he often watches the places where 

 the female comes to lay her eggs, and upon 

 her retiring, seizes the booty. 



All crocodiles breed near fresh waters; and 

 though they are sometimes found in the sea, 



NO. 61 & 62. 



yet that may be considered rather as a place 

 of excursion than abode. They produce their 

 young by eggs, as was said above ; and for 

 this purpose the female, when she comes to 

 lay, chooses a place by the side of a river, or 

 some fresh-water lake, to deposite her brood 

 in. She always pitches upon an extensive 

 sandy shore, where she may dig a hole with- 

 out danger of detection from the ground being 

 fresh turned up. The shore must also be 

 gentle and shelving to the water, for the great- 

 er convenience of the animal's going and re- 

 turning; and a convenient place must be found 

 near the edge of the stream, that the young 

 may have a shorter way to go. When all 

 these requisites are adjusted, the animal is 

 seen cautiously stealingupon shore to deposite 

 her burden. The presence of a man, a beast, 

 or even a bird, is sufficient to deter her at 

 that time; and if she perceives any creature, 

 looking on, she infallibly returns. If, however, 

 nothing appears, she then goes to work, 

 scratching up the sand with her fore-paws, 

 and making a hole pretty deep in the shore. 

 There she deposites from eighty to a hundred 

 eggs, of the size of a tennis-ball, and of the 

 same figure, covered with a tough white skin 

 like parchment. She takes above an hour to 

 perform this task; and then covering up the 

 place so artfully that it can scarcely be per- 

 ceived, she goes back to return again the next 

 day. Upon her return, with the same pre- 

 caution as before, she lays about the same 

 number of eggs; and the day following also 

 a like number. Thus having deposited her 

 whole quantity, and having covered them 

 close up in the sand, they are soon vivified 

 by the heat of the sun ; and at the end of thir- 

 ty days, the young ones begin to break open 

 the shell. At this time the female is instinc- 

 tively taught that her young ones want relief; 

 and she goes upon land to scratch away the 

 sand, and set them free. Her brood quickly 

 avail themselves of their liberty ; a part run 

 unguided to the water; another part ascend 

 the back of the female, and are carried thi- 

 ther in greater safety. But the moment they 

 arrive at the water, all natural connexion is 

 at an end : when the female has introduced 

 her young to their natural element, not only 

 she, but the male, become among the num- 

 ber of their most formidable enemies, and de- 

 5H 



