THE CROCODILE. 49 



She fills up the hole carefully before she leaves 

 them. In each of the two succeeding days she lays 

 as many more, which she hides in the same manner. 

 The eggs are hatched generally in about thirty days, 

 when the young immediately run into the water. 

 These young are devoured by various kinds of fish, 

 and their numbers are also lessened by supplying 

 food to their own species. It is however in the de- 

 struction of their eggs that the most material ser- 

 vice is effected. The Ichneumon * and the Vul- 

 tures, which in the hot climates collect in immense 

 numbers, seem peculiarly appointed by Providence 

 to abridge their enormous fecundity, and in this ca- 

 pacity devour and destroy millions of the eggs. 



Crocodiles are frequently seen about the rivers in 

 Java in great numbers. The Javanese sometimes 

 catch them with a hook and line j a circumstance 

 that at first would seem almost incredible, since 

 they are able, with great ease, to bite asunder the 

 strongest rope. These people therefore use a very 

 loosely twisted cord of cotton, at the end of which 

 a hook is fastened, baited with raw flesh. When 

 the Crocodile, after having swallowed the hook, 

 endeavours to bite the cord asunder, his teeth only 

 separate the fibres, and all his attempts are of no 

 avail. When he is found to be fastened, his anta- 

 gonists come upon him in great numbers, and, with 

 the weapons they have for the purpose, soon de- 

 stroy himf. — In other parts of the world, these ani- 



* Viveira Ichneumon of Linnaeus. t Tjwnberg, H. -93. 



VOL. III. E 



