'280 CROCODILES. 



And the second writes : " We have observed with 

 astonishment in the river of San Domingo, that the 

 crocodiles,* or caymans, which are generally such 

 terrible animals, are here quite harmless." And 

 Livingstone, referring to those of the Liambye, 

 remarks that " they commit more excesses than those 

 of any other rivers.'' 



Before accusing travellers of contradicting each 

 other on the subject of crocodiles, it is necessary to 

 know if their descriptions apply to the same or to 

 different species. But that is not all, and the most 

 opposite statements might be equally correct, even 

 when applied to individuals of the same species. We 

 will go farther, and say even when applied to the same 

 individual. 



One can conceive, in fact, that a traveller would 

 form a totally different idea of a species according 

 to whether he found himself in the neighbourhood of 

 a crocodile famished or satiated. 



It is said that at certain times of the year the 

 males of the taper-nosed crocodiles give themselves up 

 to most desperate combats. I imagine that it would 

 be more disadvantageous to encounter them at those 

 periods than at others. And the same may be said 



* Crocodile is the proper term. America has the monopoly 

 of caymans. 



