THE CROCODILE. 



121 



LESSON XXII. 



AGE OF REPTILES CROCODILE ^BOA TOAD 



SALAMANDER. 



MANY of the reptiles grow slowly, and are very 

 long-lived; indeed, a general remark may be made 

 here, which the reader must bear in mind: through- 

 out the animal and vegetable kingdom, whenever 

 an object grows to a great size, or grows very 

 slowly, it invariably lives to a great age. Thus, 

 the rnighty whale, which attains so vast a magni- 

 tude, is supposed to live some hundreds of years ; 

 and the oak, the king of our forests, which in- 

 creases in bulk very slowly, will live for a thousand 

 years, and witness many generations of quick- 

 growing trees perish around it, whilst it is in its 

 prime. Tortoises have been known upwards of 

 one hundred and twenty years old, and it is- pro- 

 bable that the crocodile and the larger snakes live 

 to a very great age in their native haunts. 



The largest animal living in fresh water is the 

 crocodile, one of the reptiles. It is a native of hot 

 countries, and in some situations is found in great 



