692 REPTILIA—CROCODILE. 
especially towards the extremity of the jaws. It was covered by a skin, 
which adhered firmly to the skull and to the jaws. The skull was rough 
and unequal in several places. The eye was very small in proportion to the 
rest of the body. The jaws seemed to shut one upon the other; and no- 
thing can be more false than that the animal’s under jaw is without motion ; 
it moves, like the lower jaw in all other animals, while the upper is fixéd to 
the skull, and absolutely immoveable. The animal had twenty-seven cut- 
ting teeth in the upper jaw, and fifteen in the lower, with several void spaces 
between them. The distance of the two jaws, when opened as wide as they 
could be, was fifteen inches and a half; this is a very wide yawn, and could 
easily enough take in the body of aman. From the shoulders to the ex- 
tremity of the tail, the animal was covered with large scales, of a square 
form, disposed like parallel girdles. Tne creature was covered not only with 



<G 
ey SS 
5 ASS 
———_ 
We €A) 
{S SS 
vS 

these, but all over with a coat of armor; which, rowever, contrary to what 
as been commonly asserted, was not proof against a musket ball. It had 
no bladder; but the kidney sent the urine to be discharged by the anus. 
There were sixty-two joints in the back bone, which, though very closely 
united, had sufficient play to enable the animal to bend like a bow to the 
right and the left; so that what we hear of escaping the creature by turning 
out of the right line, and of the animal’s not being able to wheel readily after 
its prey, seems to be fabulous. ) 
The strength of every part of the crocodile is very great; and its arms, 
both-offensive and defensive, irresistible. Most naturalists have remarked, 
‘rom the shortness of its legs, the amazing strength of the tortoise; but 
what is the strength of such.an animal, compared to that of the crocodile, 
whose legs are very short, and whose size is so superior? Its principal in- 
