THE CAYMAN. 



51 



individuals of the family of crocodile until they 

 have laid their eggs, and then devouring them, 

 it is an ancient fable, which, like Don Quixote's 

 library of romances, ought to be thrown to the 

 fire in the court-yard, and there burnt with 

 the rest of the trash. I can positively affirm 

 that neither in the Essequibo nor in the Oro- 

 noque did I see one single solitary attempt of 

 a vulture to invade the spot where a cayman 

 had deposited her eggs. The cayman, in fact, 

 may perform her task with impunity, whilst 

 hundreds of vultures are standing motionless 

 on the branches of a tree hard by, where they 

 remain till hunger bids them be stirring, and 

 then they all take wing and fly away in quest 

 of carrion. Had they been watching the 

 cayman's treasures, they would have descended 

 from the tree, and not have ascended in aerial 

 flight. 



The cayman not unfrequently lays its eggs 

 in a heap of dry leaves. The eggs afford good 

 nourishment to man. They are about the size 

 of those of a turkey, perhaps somewhat larger. 

 The outside of the shell is rough, and of a dirty 

 white colour. Probably it is quite white when 

 first deposited. 



£ 2 



