CROCODILES. 59 



world's history they occurred here. Indeed, re- 

 mains of several kinds of Crocodiles, long since 

 extinct, occur in different geological formations 

 of the British Islands, finally becoming extinct 

 during Tertiary times. To-day, we meet with 

 these Eeptiles only in the tropical and sub- 

 tropical regions of America, Africa, Asia, and 

 Australia. 



To the observer watching these animals for the 

 first time, whether at large or in captivity, the 

 first thing probably to attract his attention 

 would be their remarkable resemblance to a log 

 of wood, a resemblance heightened by their 

 absolute stillness. This likeness is obviously 

 advantageous to the Crocodile, especially when 

 lying in wait for prey in the water. Thereby 

 they pass for what they seem to animals coming 

 to drink, which in consequence approach unsus- 

 pecting to quench their thirst, and are then 

 seized by the nose, dragged down into the water, 

 and held there till drowned. Once the jaws 

 have closed on a victim they rarely lose their 

 grip. Man himself does not escape. In India 

 a long roll of victims has to be recorded every 

 year, and these are chiefly women who come to 

 the river for water or to wash clothes therein. 

 Men have been known to regain their freedom 

 from this terrible foe by digging their fingers 

 into the creature's eyes. The opportunity to do 

 this, however, but seldom occurs, and probably 

 even then may lose it in their terror. Strangely 

 enough, in some places, though Crocodiles swarm, 

 man is never attacked. Possibly because other 

 prey is plentiful. 



