150 HABITS OF THE CAYMAJf. 



or hunger. The animal hi running makes a rustling noise, 

 which seems to proceed from the rubbing of the scales of its 

 skin one against another. In this movement it bends its 

 back, and appears higher on its legs than when at rest. "We 

 often heard this rattling of the scales very near us on the 

 shore ; but it is not true, as the Indians pretend, that, like 

 the armadillo, the old crocodiles "can erect their scales, and 

 every part of their armour." The motion of these animals 

 is no doubt generally in a straight line, or rather like that of 

 an arrow, supposing it to change its direction at certain 

 distances. However, notwithstanding the little apparatus of 

 false ribs, which connects the vertebra of the neck, and 

 seems to impede the lateral movement, crocodiles can turn 

 easily when they please. I often saw young ones biting 

 their tails ; and other observers have seen the same action in 

 crocodiles at their full growth. If their movements almost 

 always appear to be straight forward, it is because, like our 

 small lizards, they move by starts. Crocodiles are excellent 

 swimmers; they go with facility against the most rapid 

 current. It appeared to me, however, that in descending 

 the river, they had some difficulty in turning quickly about. 

 A large dog, which had accompanied us in our journey 

 from Caracas to the Bio JSTegro, was one day pursued 

 in swimming by an enormous crocodile. The latter had 

 nearly reached its prey, when the dog escaped by turn- 

 ing round suddenly and swimming against the current. 

 The crocodile performed the same movement, but much 

 more slowly than the dog, which succeeded in gaining the 

 shore. 



The crocodiles of the Apure find abundant food in the 

 chiguires (thick-nosed tapirs),* which live fifty or sixty 

 together in troops on the banks of the river. These animals, 

 as large as our pigs, have no weapons of defence ; they swim 

 somewhat better than they run : yet they become the prey 



* Cavia capybara, Linn. The word chigmre belongs to the language 

 of the Palenkas and the Cumanagotos. The Spaniards call this animal 

 guardatinaja ; the Caribs, capigua; the Tamanacs, cappiva; and the 

 Maypures, chiato. According to Azara, it is known at Buenos Ayres by 

 the Indian names of capiyyua and capiguara. These various denomi- 

 nations show a striking analogy between the languages of the Orinoco 

 and those of the Rio de la Plata. 



