THE CROCODILE* 47 



mouths of almost any animals. It has been as- 

 serted, by various writers, that both their jaws are 

 moveable. A single glance, however, at their ske- 

 leton will afford sufficient proof that the upper jaw- 

 is fixed, and that the motion is altogether confined 

 to the under jaw. They are also generally believed 

 to have no tongue : this again is an error, for the 

 tongue in both species is larger than even that of 

 the Ox ; but it is so connected with the sides of the 

 lower jaw as to be incapable of being stretched 

 far forwards, as in other animals. 



Except when pressed by hunger, or with a view 

 of depositing its eggs, this enormous creature sel- 

 dom leaves the water. Its usual method is to float 

 along upon the surface, and seize whatever ani- 

 mals come within its reach ; but, when this me- 

 thod fails, it then goes closer to the bank. There 

 it waits in patient expectation of some land animal 

 that may come to drink ; the dog, the bull, the ti- 

 ger, or man himself. Nothing is to be seen on the 

 approach, nor is its retreat discovered till it is too 

 Jate for safety. It seizes the victim with a spring, 

 and goes at a bound much farther than such an un- 

 wieldy animal could be supposed to do. Then 

 having secured the prey, it drags it into the water, 

 instantly sinks with it to the bottom, and in this 

 manner quickly drowns it. Sometimes it happens 

 that the creature wounded by the Crocodile makes 

 its escape ; in which case, the latter pursues with 

 some celerity, and often takes it a second time. 

 He seldom moves far from rivers, except in covert 

 and marshy places; so that, in many parts of the 



