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CHAPTERS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



Prevalent among the myths about crocodiles is the one that 

 states the reptile never ceases to grow, and consequently the 

 limits of its size and age are not exactly known. 



Fig. 44. The Gavtal. 



Drawn by the Author. 



Ever since the days of Herodotus, it has been known that the 

 crocodiles of the Nile, in Africa, frequently lie basking in the 

 sun, with open and wide-gaping mouths, while a small species of 



