THE CROCODILE. 15 



Description. 



in number, each rise into a kind of obtuse point; 

 the margin near the*tail is deeply serrated; the 

 head is large, flat, triangular, and covered with 

 a warty skin ; the mouth is wide, and the man- 

 dibles are sharp; the neck, though it appears 

 short and thick when the animal is at rest, is 

 capable of being stretched out to a third of the 

 length of the shell ; the toes are connected by a 

 web, and the claws are long and stout; the tail 

 is straight, and about two-thirds of the length 

 of the shell. In its general color this species is 

 of a dull chesnut brown, paler beneath than 

 above. 



This animal preys on fish, young water-fowl, 

 &c. which it seizes with great force, at the same 

 lime stretching out its neck and hissing. What- 

 ever it once seizes in its mouth it holds so tena- 

 ciously, that it will suffer itself to be raised up 

 rather than quit its hold. It lies concealed in 

 muddy waters in such a manner as to leave out 

 only a part of its back, appearing like a stone, 

 or rough piece of wood, by which means it is 

 enabled the more easily to lay hold of such ani- 

 mals as unguardedly venture near it. 



V b'J'/'ifl') r 







THE CROCODILE. 



THE tail of this animal is two-edged j the feet 

 triangular, the fore ones having five, and the 

 hinder only four toes. Within the mouth of tliis 



