LIZARD. 



Species. 



Crocodu.IS, or Crocodile of the Nile ; has a mailed ' 

 iead ; nape carinate, tail above with two lateral crclls. 



This animal, as its name imports, is chiefly found in the 

 river Nile, or on its banks. It fometimts arrives at a very- 

 great lize : the common lize of a full grown crocodile is from 

 iS to 25 feetlonir, though fome have been ftin that meafiire 

 full forty feel in length. The colour of the upper part is a 

 blackilli-brown, but beneath it is of a yellowi(h-\vhlte. The 

 upper parts of the legs and lides arc varied with deep yellow, 

 and in fome parts tinged with green. The opening of the 

 mouth is of valt extent, and both jaws are furnilhcd with 

 numerous iharp-pbinted teeth ; thole in the middle part of 

 t!ie jaw being largeft, and refcmbling the canine teeth of vi- 

 viparous aiunials. The external openings of the ears are 

 placed on the top of the head, above the eyes, and tlie eyes 

 themfelves arc furnifhcd with a nid'titating membrane, fimi- 

 lar to that of birds. The legs are ihort, Itrong, and mufcu- 

 lar. The tail is long, compreffcd on the fides, and furniflied 

 above with an upright procefs, formed by the gradual ap- 

 proach of two elevated crelh, which proceed from the lower 

 part of the back. The upper part of the body of the cro- 

 codile is covered with a llrong armour, which in its ftruc- 

 ture exhibits the appearance of the moll curious carved 

 work, and is indeed a fine piece of mechanifm. The croco- 

 dile depofits its eggs in the fand or mud on the banks of the 

 rivers which it inhabits, and as foon as the young are hatched, 

 they proceed to the water. The crocodile is a native of 

 Afia and Africa, but it ftems more common in the latter than 

 in the former country. It inhabits only large rivers, and 

 iivcs chielly an fi(h, but being extremely voracious, it feizes 

 any other animal that comes witliin its reach. The crocodile 

 has long been regarded as one of the moft for'hiidable ani- 

 mals of tliC countries in which it is found, but fnme late tra- 

 vellers fecm to have entertained a lefs formidable opinion of 

 them. M. Denon, fpeaking of the French army in Egypt, 

 fays that the foldiers and himfelf bathed daily in the Nile, 

 and vet they were never once attacked by them, nor did they 

 ever meet wit^i a fingle crocodile at a diilance from die water. 

 Hence he inferred that they find, in the river a lufficient 

 quantity of ealily procurable food, which they digell (lowly, 

 being, like the lizard and ferpent, cold blooded, and of an 

 inaftive Itomach. " Bcfides," fays llie traveller, « having 

 in the Egyptian part of the Nile no enemies but each other 

 and man, they would be truly formidable, if, covered as 

 they are with an almolt impenetrable defenfive armour, they 

 ■were fl-:ilful and alert in making ufe of thofe means which 

 nature has given them for attack.'' He farther adds, that 

 they faw three crocodiles, one of which was nearly twenty, 

 five feet in L-ngth ; they were all afleep, fo that they could 

 approach tbem within about twenty yards, and had an op- 

 portunity of diftinguifhiiig them very accurately. He fays, 

 that in that poiitioii they refembled difmountcd cannon : he 

 fired on one, the ball ilruck him and rebounded from his 

 fcales. He ir<ade a leap of ten feet,^ and dived into the 

 river. 



In the large rivers of Africa, and in certain parts of thofe 

 ri\-ers, they may be feen in vail (lioals fwimniii)g together, 

 where they exhibit the appcarai>ce of floating timber. A 

 variety of the common crocodile has been found in the 

 river Senegal, it has a longer fnout, and is ahriall entirely 

 black. It IS very fwift, voracious, and of amazing flrength ; 

 it roars fiideourty; devours every vhing that comes in its 

 ■way ; fwallows llones to prevent hunger, and cannot be 

 killed bf a muflcct ball unlefs ftruck on the belly : it feidoin 

 moves but la a Ilralght line, and may accordingly be 



avoided : the female lavs her eggs in the fand, which are 

 not much largiT than thofe of a goofe. 



G.VNtJLTicA, or Gangetic crocodile. This animal has 

 long, roundilh, or fub-cyhndric jaws ; its tail 611 the upper 

 fide has two crells running into one. 



Tliis fpccies is found in the Ganges, where it is nearly 

 equal in fize to the common crocodile. In this the llruclure 

 of the fnout is very remarkable, it being nearly three times 

 as long as the head. The eyes are extremely prominent, 

 and it is faid they are fo condruflcd, that they may be 

 railed above the water, when the refl of the body is under 

 the furface, by which the animal is enabled to fee its prey 

 either on the furface of the water, or on the banks of rivers. 

 In the general form and colour of the body and limbs, this 

 fpccies refembles the common crocodile. In the Biitilh 

 Mufxum is a fpecimen of this creature, meafuring eighteen 

 feet in length. 



Ai,LiG.\TOU. The head of this animal is flat, imbricate^. 

 nape naked ; tail above witli two rough lateral lines. 



It inhabits the middle parts of America, is lefs than a 

 crocodile, but refembles it in habits and voracity. The 

 larged in fize, and the greatell numbers of alligators, inhabit 

 the torrid zone, neverthelefs the contim-nt ten degrees more 

 north abounds with them, particularly as far as the river 

 Neus in North Carolina. In the latitude 33 , which anfwcrs 

 to the northernmoll parts of Africa, where they arehkewile 

 found, they frequent not only fait rivers near the fea, but 

 llreams of frdh water in the upper parts of the country, 

 and in lakes of fait and fiefti waters, 011 the banks of which 

 they he lurking among the reeds to furprifc cattle and other 

 animals. They are found in Jamaica, and many parts of 

 the continent, full 20 feet in length. But we are told they 

 cannot be more formidable in their afpeil tlinn terrible in 

 their nature, fparing neither man nor bead which com« 

 within their reach, pulling them under water and drownnvj 

 tliem, in order that they may with greater facility, and 

 without a llrnggle or refillance, devour them.. They fubfill 

 chiefly on filh, but as Providence, for the prefervation, or 

 to prevent the extinction of defencelefs creatures, has ia 

 niauy inftances reilraiiied the devouring appetites of vora» 

 cious animals, by fome certain impediments ; fo th'.s deilruc- 

 tive montler can proceed only in a ftraight forward direc- 

 tion, and is confequently dii'abled from turning with th;-.t 

 agility requilite to catch his prey by purfuit ; therefore a!. 

 h'gators do it by furprife in the water, as well as by land :; 

 they have the power of deceiving and decoying their prcy^, 

 by a fagacity peculiar to themfelves, as well as by the OHter 

 form and colour of their body, which on bnd refembles a 

 log or tree,, and in the water lies (ioating^ on the furface, and 

 has the like -ippearauce, by which, aud their fileiit artifice, 

 filh, fowl, and turtle,, are lured into their grai'p, and fud- 

 denly catched and devoured.. Carnivorous aniuials get their 

 food with more difEculty, and lefs certainty than thofe 

 which fubfiil on vegetable fubili-.nces, and are frequently 

 obliged to fail long, which a flow dig-edion enables them to 

 endure. Reptiles pai-ticularly, by fwallov iug whole what 

 ibey eat, can. live long witluiut food. Alligators fwallow 

 dones and wood, to dillend tlie lloniach and prevent its con- 

 traclion by emptinefs. They lay a great number of eggs 

 £X one time on fandy banks of rivers and laj-.es, which are 

 hatched by the heat of the fun, without any care of the 

 parent. The young, as. foon as they are difeogaged from the 

 (hell,, run to the water by a natural inftind. and fliift for 

 themfelves, and while young they fervc as a prey not onl/ 

 to ravenous filh of other tribes, but to their own fpecies. 

 In South. Carolina they are numerous, but Ur.aller than thole 

 towards the equator, but they attack, men and cattle, ani 



1 airft 



