CROCODILE CATCHING. 75 



them by their popular name, though " monitor lizard " 

 is their more proper name. They have wonderful 

 powers of scent, and are always to be found near 

 carrion. When sitting up for a tiger over a " kill," 

 one often sees them ; they come shambling awkwardly 

 through the undergrowth, and after a careful scrutiny 

 on every side tear huge mouthfuls of flesh out of the 

 carcass. 



We found that the three other baits had not been 

 touched, and all that we could do therefore was to 

 objurgate the iguana and go home to hope that a 

 crocodile would soon feel hungry. 



On the way back Manap told me the story of 

 the feud between the crocodile and the monkey, to 

 which he had alluded the day before. 



"Once the crocodile's wife was very sick, and it 

 seemed as if she would die. The doctors and 

 sorcerers who were attending her declared that the 

 only chance of her recovery was that she should 

 eat a monkey's heart. So the crocodile set off in 

 search of a monkey. He left the sea, and ascended 

 a river until he met a monkey playing on the 

 banks. The crocodile called to him, ' Oh, Sir 

 Monkey ! who is the wisest and cleverest doctor in 

 this land ? ' 



" And the monkey of course said ' I am.' 



"The crocodile then explained that his wife was 

 very ill, and that he would be for ever grateful if 

 the monkey would prescribe for her. An enormous 

 fee was demanded and agreed to, and the monkey 

 stepped on to the back of the crocodile, who at once 

 swam away down the river. 



