Plinies Natumil Hiftorie. 



A higbcftjand without it will fhee bee furc to fit.Thercis not another creature a gaiiic in the \^or Id^ 

 that of afinallet begin^i^g,grov^;e^h to a bigger (^aanticie. His feet be armed \-vith claives for oi- 

 fencCjand his skin fo hard ^that it wil abide any injOrie whaifoeverja'nd not be pierced. All the day 

 time the Crocodile keepeth upon the landj but hee;paflreth the night in the.woter : qnd in good 

 rcgai-d of the feafon he doth both the one and the other.Whcn hee hath filled his bellic witjift- 

 jfhes, he lieth to flecpc upon the fands in the fhore*: and for that he is a great dhxi greedie devoii- 

 rerjfomewhat of the meatfticketh evermore betweene his teetH.In regard wherofcommeth ilit 

 wren,a little bird called there Trochilosj and the king of birds in Italic; and niec&rher vi^iiafe 

 fakejboppcth firft about his mouth/alleth to pecking and piking it with her little neb or biikand 

 fb forv^ard to the tcetl^vhich l"he cleanfeth 5 and ail to make hirn gape.Then geiteth fliee within 



B his mouth^which he openeth the wider jby reaibn that he taketh fo great delight ill "this her fcra- 

 ping and fcouring of his teeth and cha wes. Now when he is lulled as it were faft afkepe with this 

 pleafure and contentment of his : the rat of IndiajOr Ichneumon abovefaid jfpieth his vantai?ej 

 and feeing him lie thus broad gaping, whippeth into his mouth, andfhooceth himfelfe dowtie 

 / his throat as quicke as an arrowjSnd then gnaweth his bowels^eateth ail hok through his belliej 

 andfokillethhim. - 



Within the river Nilus there breeds another Serpent called Scincos, like inform^ and !pro^ 

 portion fomewhatto the Crocodile^ but not all fo big as the lehneumon ; tl^cfh whereof fer- 

 veth for a fingular Antidote or <:ountre-poyfon , as alio for to provoke the heat of iufl i n men. 

 But to retUrne againe to the Crocodile : the mifcheefe that he doth is fo great, thatNature is 



C not content to have given him one mortall cnemic and no more ; and therefore the Dolphins 

 alfo enter the river Nilus in deipight of the Crocodiles^that take themfelves for kings thef ejas if 

 this river were their peculiar kingdome : but feeing they be otherwife inferior to the Crocodiles 

 in flrength^, who alwaies drive them away from preiding or feeding there, thsydevifeto over- 

 match him in flic craft andfubtiltie,and io kill him. And in truth they havecertain iins or wings 

 as it were upon their backe, as trenchant and keehe as knives, properly made as it were, for this 

 purpofe.For furely all creatures are herein naturally very skilful! and cunning, to know not onely 

 tiieir owne goodjand what is for them^ but alfo what may butt and annoy their enemies. Ware 

 they bee what offenfive weapons they have, and of what force they are : they are not ignorant of 

 fit occafions and opportunities to take their vantage, neyetof the wcake parts of tlieir occur- 



D rents,by which they may affaile and conquer them the fooncr. Thus the Dolphins knowing full 

 well.thattheskin of the Crocodiles bellie isthinandfoftj make as though they were afi'aici of 

 thcin as hecommethjand fo dive under the wster, untiilhe have gotten under his be}]ie,& then 

 punch and cut it with the forefaid ("harp- pointed finnes.Moreover3therc is a kind of people that 

 carle a deadly hatred to the Crocodile^and they bee called Tcntjritcs,of a certainc ifland everi 

 within Nilusjwhich they inhabite. The men are but finall of fkuure, but in this quarrell againft 

 the CrocodiIes,they have hearts of Lions,and it is wonderfull to fee how reiblute and courage- 

 ous they are only in this behalfe. Indeed^this Crocodile is a terrible beaft tothem that Bie from 

 him :butcontrarieJet menpurfuehimor make head againe, hee runneth away molkowardiy. 

 Novv,ihefcIilanders be the onely men that dare encountre him affront. Over and bcfides, they 



E will take the river, and fwim after tliem,nay they will mount upon dieirbackes, and iit them like 

 horfemeniandasthey turne their heads^with their mouth wide open lobite or devour rhemj 

 they will thruff a duborgreatcudgellintoitcrofleoverthwart, andfo holding hard with both 

 hands each end thereof,thc one with the nghtjand the other with the leftjand ruling them per- 

 force (as it were) with a bit and bridle, bring them to land like prifoners: when they have them 

 there^they will fo fright them onely with their words and fpeech,that they compell them to cai^ 

 up and vomit thofe bodies againe to bee enterred, whichthcy had fwallowed but newly before. 

 And therfore it is, that this is the only Ifland which the Crocodiles wil not fwim unto:for t he ve- 

 ry finell and fent of thefe Tentyrites is able to drive them awayjlike as the Pfelli with their favouE 

 put Serpents to flight.By report, this beaftfeeth butbadly in the water :but bethey once with- 



F outjthey are mof^ quicke- fighted. All the foure Winter months they live in a cave, and cat no- 

 thing at all.Some are of opinion^that this creature alone groweth all his life : and furely a great 

 timeheliveth. 



The fame river Nilus bringeth foorth another beaft called Hippopotamus, /Va River- 

 horfe. Taller hee isfrom the ground than the Crocodile ;h€ehath a cloven foot likeaboeufci 



T iij the 



