iS A NATURAL HISTORY 



His Mouth is very v/lde, and Is extended to the Ears ; his 

 Snout and Eyes like thofe of Swine ; the Teeth, which are in- 

 grail'd, are white, acute, flrong and numerous ; the Feet arm'd 

 ■with fharp Claws ; the Skin of the Belly is tender and may be 

 eafily penetrated, but the other parts of the Body are not pene- 

 trable by Swords and Arrows : It defies even the Wheels of a 

 loaded Cart, as well as Darts and Spears : It is of a yellow Co- 

 lour, fay fomej but Wormius in Mr. Ray's Synopfti fays, that thofe 

 he had feen, were inclin'd to the grey or a£h Colour. 



The Tail is near as long as the Body, upon which are Fins of 

 a Fifh, whereby he is capacitated to fwim. When he flrikes 

 with his Claws, he tears with his Teeth, and grinds the very 

 Bones of what he kills into Powder. In Winter he lives much 

 without Food, but in Summer, his Suftenance is of the animal 

 Icind, but is mofl fond of human Flefh ; and as he is an amphi- 

 bious Creature, plunders both Elements *. 



The Crocodile, when preft with Hunger, fwallows Stones, 

 which have been found worn round about, and the vi^afled parts 

 reduced to fuch minute Particles, as were fit to circulate with the 

 Mafs of Blood f . 



I N Egypt the Crocodile is made the Objedl of religious Adora- 

 tion, but not by all the Nation ; for the Inhabitants of Tentyra 

 (an Ifland form'd by the River Nilus) were fo far from worfhip- 

 ping that hateful Monfter, that they defpifed it, and often brought 



them to the Rotnan Shews for Diver fion. This Averfion to 



Crocodiles caufed a War between the Teniyriaiis and the other 

 Egyptians, who worlhip'd thofe Creatures j of which People "Job 

 feems to fpeak in the following Words : Let them curj'e it that ciirfe 

 the day, who are ready to raife up their Mourning, Job iii. 8. Some 

 read it, to raife up the Leviathan, or to awake the Crocodile ; of 

 which Job gives an admirable Defcription, under the Name of 

 Leviathan, Job xli. r, 2, 3, 4. ... So the Pfalmift, Tliou breakeji 

 the Heads of Leviathan in pieces^ and gavejl him to be Meat to the 

 People inhabiting the Wildernefs. 



When I think of the fuperftitious Egyptians warring againft 



the People of Tentyra, I can't but obferve how the fame kind of 



Spirit (the more the piiy) too often reigns among Chriftians : 



Thofe who have riiliC'd'd Superltition, and endeavour'd to pro- 



6 P':ga:e 



« 



Jj-njionus, 141. f NierembcrildS. 



