THE CEOCODILE. 95 



of this mode of feeding that the Crocodile is furnished 

 with the curious apparatus which will be briefly de- 

 scribed. 



As to the smaller animals, it can kill them with 

 the gripe of its powerful jaws, but a buffalo, or even 

 a full-grown cow or horse, would not succumb to the 

 mere bite, and its struggles would be so violent that 

 the Crocodile would scarcely be able to secure it. Even 

 if the reptile were to plunge beneath the water with its 

 prey, with the intention of drowning it, the severe 

 struggle would force the Crocodile itself to need breath 

 as well as its victim. 



Moreover, if it were to submerge itself with open 

 mouth, the water would pour down its throat, and very 

 soon incapacitate it for further action. Some plan 

 must therefore be devised which will enable the animal 

 to be submerged with open mouth, and yet will pre- 

 serve it from the inconvenience of having water pour- 

 ing down its throat into its stomach. This, indeed, is 

 much more important than the mere question of respi- 

 ration, for, supposing both animals to be submerged 

 simultaneously, it is evident that the hot-blooded mam- 

 mal must succumb before the cold-blooded reptile. 



The means by which this end is attained is beauti- 

 fully simple and efficacious. 



At the back of the throat, and just before the 

 opening of the gullet, a broad plate of gristly substance 

 passes completely across. The plate starts from the 

 bony process of the throat, called technically "os 

 hyoides/' and extends completely across the back of 

 the throat. From the upper part of the palate there 

 hangs a flap of a similar substance, which envelopes the 



