190 CLASS REPTILIA. 



the other bezoars, they are banished from the materia medica, 

 by all enlightened practitioners. 



The crocodiles, as is well known, were objects of worship 

 to the ancient Egyptians, who consecrated to them the 

 town of Arsinoe, and interred them in the tombs of their 

 kings. 



The Egyptian crocodiles inhabit the Nile, the Senegal, 

 and in all probability most of the other African rivers. At 

 the present day it is found in the Nile, only towards the 

 region of Upper Egypt, where it is extremely hot, and 

 where this animal never falls into a lethargic state. Formerly, 

 when it was wont to descend the branches of the river which 

 water the Delta, it used to pass the four winter months in 

 caverns, and without food. Of this fact we are informed 

 by Pliny and other ancient naturalists. 



According to the relations of Hasselquist, and many other 

 travellers, the crocodile of the Nile must be the largest 

 animal of its kind. In Upper Egypt, these animals have 

 been found thirty feet and more in length. The ancients 

 pretend to have seen some of them six and twenty cubits in 

 length, but this is probably nothing but exaggeration. 



These crocodiles have a strong odour of musk, which they 

 even communicate to the waters which they frequent. The 

 negroes, notwithstanding this, use their flesh as food, as did 

 likewise the ancient inhabitants of Elephantina, according to 

 the testimony of Herodotus. Moore informs us that among 

 several African nations the eggs are esteemed the highest 

 possible delicacy. They are used as food both in Egypt and 

 the East Indies, as those of the cayman are in Florida and 

 the other parts of America. 



It would seem that other species inhabit the Nile as well 

 as this of which we are now speaking, and that at least one 

 variety of the common crocodile is to be found in that 



