15^ OVIPAROUS QUADRUPEDS. 



jaw by a membrane which covers it, and which is pierced in feveral 

 places. Sixty-two joints in the back-bone, which, though very clofely unit- 

 ed, have fufficient play to enable the animal to bend like a bow to the right 

 and the left. 



The ftrength of every part of the crocodile is very great; the Ipine is 

 jointed in the firmeft manner; the mufcles of the legs are vigorous and 

 Itrong; its teeth are fharp, nunnerous, and formidable; its claws long 

 and tenacious; but its principal inftrument of deftrudlion is the tail: 

 ' with a fingle blow of this it has often overturned a canoe, and feized on 

 the poor favage, its condudor. 



Such is this formidable animal, the terror of the moft navigable rivers, 

 in fome places lying huurs, and days, ftretched in the fun, motionlefs; 

 fo that one not ufed to them might miftake them for trunks of trees, 

 covered with a rough and dry bark; but the miftake would foon be fatal, 

 if not prevented ; for the torpid animal, at the approach of any living 

 thing, darts on it with inftant fwiftnefs, and drags it to the bottom. 

 During inundations, they fometimes enter cottages, and feize the firft ani- 

 mal they meet with. There have been examples of their taking a man out 

 of a canoe, in the fight of his companions, without the poflibility of 

 affiftance. 



The crocodile feldom, except when preffed by hunger, or intent on de- 

 pofiting its eggs, leaves the water. Its ufual method is to float on the 

 -fur face, its nofe above water, and feize whatever comes within its reach; 

 if this method fails, it goes clofer to the bank, and there waits, covered 

 among the fedges, in expedation of fome animal that comes to drink j 

 it feizes the vidim with a fpring, and bounds very faft for fo unwieldy 

 an animal ; then drags its prey into the water, and finks with it to the 

 bottom. If the creature the crocodile has furprifed efcapes, the tyrant 

 purfues with all its force, and often feizes it a fecond time, efpecially if 

 the road be ftraight and level. Often the crocodile feizes a creature 

 as formidable as itfelf, and meets with a molt defperate refiftance. We 

 are told of frequent combats between the crocodile and tigers; the 

 inftant they are feized, they turn with the greateft agility, and 

 force their claws into the crocodile's eyes, while he plunges with his 

 fierce antagonift into the river,. There they continue to ftruggle for 

 fome time, till at laft the tiger is drowned. 



We are aflTured by Labat, that a negro, with no other weapon than a 

 knife in his right hand, and his left arm wrapped round with a cow- 

 hide, ventures boldly to attack this animal in its own clement. As 



foon 



