ENEMIES OF REPTILES. 285 



courage, and instantly takes to flight. But the hog, who smells 

 it from afar, draws nearer and nearer, his bristles erect with 

 excitement, seizes it by the neck, and devours it with great com- 

 placency, though without touching the head. 



On account of his activity in destroying crocodile-eggs and 

 snakes the ichneumon was ranked by the ancient Egyptians 

 among their numerous divinities. The Indian mongoos also 

 attacks without hesitation the most venomous serpents. The 

 cobra, which puts even the leopard to flight, rises before the 

 little creature with swelling hood and fury in its eye ; but, 

 swift as thought, the mongoos, avoiding the death-stroke of the 

 projecting fangs, leaps upon its back, and, fastening his sharp 

 teeth in the head, soon despatches the helpless snake. 



Even in their own ranks the reptiles have many enemies, 

 who take care to keep their numbers in check, and prevent 

 them from acquiring a dangerous ascendancy over the other 

 animals. Thus the Trionyx ferox, a river-tortoise of South Caro- 

 lina, lies in wait among the rushes for the young alligators ; and 

 one serpent frequently devours the other. 



Against these manifold attacks the reptile race maintains 

 itself, not only by the various defences I have mentioned, but by 

 a great fecundity. Frogs and toads often lay above twelve 

 hundred eggs tortoises and turtles above four hundred, during 

 the course of the dry season crocodiles and snakes from fifty to 

 sixty. Thus the reptiles not only supply food to a Vast number 

 of animals, but keep on flourishing from generation to generation 

 and from age to age. 



