248 CROCODILES 



like the crocodile, buries its eggs, though it takes the 

 trouble to hatch them itself. 



Crocodiles are now credited with one virtue the 

 only one ever ascribed to them. Some species make a 

 nest, and others are very jealous and bold in defending 

 their eggs. The nest-making crocodile is the estuary 

 species (C. porosus\ ' the man-eating crocodile par 

 excellence of the East,' according to Mr. H. P. Carter. 

 It makes a mound of river vegetation, and leaves this to 

 hatch the eggs when the mass ferments, on the plan 

 adopted by the mound-making birds of Australia. 

 Near this nest it keeps watch, much after the manner of 

 a cock swan. It is on record that this is one of the 

 very few nests which the native boy respects, without 

 any deterrent local opinion. But the * mugger ' is also 

 a careful parent while its eggs are hatching. Mr. 

 Stewart notes that the female * mugger ' always watches 

 by its eggs, and drives off not only human beings, but 

 dogs and crows that approach the place where they are 

 hidden in the sand. The discovery that * crocodile 

 skin ' makes the most beautiful natural leather in the 

 world was due to accident. Sportsmen who had killed 

 specimens and wished to bring home the horn-plated 

 hides as trophies, had the whole skin tanned. This 

 included not only the plated portion, but the sides, neck 

 and belly of the creature. The handsome markings 

 and ' grain ' of the skin, and the fine tone taken by the 



