HABITS. 245 



shot, and we approached with the utmost silence, but 

 just as I raised ray gun to fire a crocodile leaped 

 out of the water, and like a flash dived back again 

 with the struggling animal in his powerful jaws. So 

 quickly did the beast take his prey, that though I fired 

 at him I was too late. I do not think my bullet hit 

 him ; if it did, it struck some impenetrable part of his 

 mail. I would not have believed that this huge and 

 unwieldy animal could move with such velocity ; but 

 the natives told me that the deer often falls a prey to 

 the crocodile. Sometimes he even catches the leopard, 

 but then there is a harder battle than the poor little 

 deer* could make." 



In America the cayman will attack the jaguar, which 

 in the New World is the most powerful of his enemies ; 

 and a struggle between these two monsters would be a 

 stirring spectacle to witness. The jaguar, knowing the 

 vulnerable place, plunges his claws into the eyes of 

 the reptile ; the latter dives, dragging clown the jaguar, 

 which, it is said, allows itself to be drowned rather 

 than let go its hold. 



Crocodiles do not generally devour large animals 

 until they have drowned them. " The noise they 

 make in eating," says Livingstone, "when once heard, 

 will never be forgotten." 



* " Poor little deer ! " says the hunter who was preparing to 

 kill him ! Talk of crocodiles' tears after that ! 



