THE ZooLoGisT—JUNE, 1875. 4469 
Notes on the Natural History of South Africa. 
By R. B. and J. D. S. Woopwarp, of Natal. 
(Continued from S. S. 4445.) 
Crocodiles and Monitors.—Crocodiles (Crocodilide) are still to 
be seen in large numbers at the mouths of most of the rivers of 
Natal, but owing to the stony nature of many of the streams they 
seldom travel far inland. They are, however, occasionally killed 
over fifty miles from the sea, in the Umzimkulu, Umkomanzi and 
Zugela, the largest rivers here. A few days ago we saw two fine 
specimens that a friend of ours had caught in a lagoon near his 
place: they were taken in rather an ingeniously contrived trap, 
made on the same principle as the ordinary mouse-trap: the bait, 
a lump of meat or fish, is fastened to a spring, on touching which 
a beam, loaded with several hundred pounds weight of stone falls 
on the head of the crocodile, completely crushing the animal be- 
neath it. We are told that many alligators are killed in America 
in this manner. These animals are very voracious, and it is 
considered highly dangerous to bathe in the places they frequent. 
People living in their vicinity complain that they lose a number of 
dogs, and no doubt they also destroy many antelopes and other 
game, which these reptiles could easily capture on their ap- 
proaching the water to drink. Crocodiles are useful scavengers, 
devouring all kinds of carrion, and they must have a sumptuous 
feast after one of our summer floods, when an enormous quantity of 
animal and vegetable matter is washed down by the force of the 
current to the sea. We were told by a traveller in Zululand, that 
one day whilst out shooting ducks, and up to his knees in water, 
he nearly stumbled against a crocodile lying right before him, but, 
luckily for him, the beast seemed as much alarmed as himself at 
the unexpected encounter, and quickly waddled off into the deeper 
water. In America shark-hooks are used for taking alligators; but 
we have not heard of their being tried in Natal: certainly fire-arms 
are of very little use owing to the thickness of their skins. They 
grow to the length of from ten to twenty feet. The female lays a 
number of strong-shelled eggs about the size of those of a goose ; 
these are hatched by the sun: those who have tasted them say that, 
although rather strong-flavoured, they are not bad eating. 
There are two species of monitors, or African iguanas, found 
SECOND SERIES—VOL. X. 2D 
