CURIOUS CREATURES. 311 



continually byting of him, untill he fall downe dead, and 

 in the which fall they are also bruzed to peeces ; for the 

 safeguard of themselves, they have this device. They 

 get and hide themselves in trees, covering their head, 

 and letting the other part hang downe like a rope : in 

 those trees they watch untill the Elephant come to eate 

 and croppe of the branches ; then, suddenly, before he be 

 aware, they leape into his face, and digge out his eyes, 

 then doe they claspe themselves about his necke, and 

 with their tayles, or hinder parts, beate and vexe the 

 Elephant, untill they have made him breathlesse, for 

 they strangle him with theyr fore parts, as they beate 

 them with the hinder, so that in this combat they both 

 perrish : and this is the disposition of the Dragon, that he 

 never setteth upon the Elephant, but with the advantage 

 of the place, and namely from some high tree or Rocke. 

 " Sometimes againe, a multitude of dragons doe together 

 observe the pathes of the Elephants, and crosse those 

 pathes they tie together their tailes as it were in knots, 

 so that when the Elephant commeth along in them, they 

 insnare his legges, and suddainly leape uppe to his 

 eyes, for that is the part they ayme at above all other, 

 which they speedily pull out, and so not being able 

 to doe him any more harme, the poore beast delivereth 

 himselfe from present death by his owne strength, and 

 yet through his blindnesse received in that combat, hee 

 perrisheth by hunger, because he cannot choose his 

 meate by smelling, but by his eyesight." 



THE CROCODILE. 



The largest of the Saurians which we have left us, 

 is the Crocodile ; and it formerly had the character of 



