THE CAYMAN. 



47 



gical information. But his behaviour was such 

 that I found myself under the absolute ne- 

 cessity of discontinuing my correspondence 

 with him : and this laid the foundation of that 

 animosity which at last has induced him 

 publicly to call in . question my veracity, with- 

 out fortifying his rash act with any proof what- 

 ever. Let me here inform this dealer in 

 unsound Zoology, that my veracity is the only 

 article upon which I feel that I have a positive 

 right to plume myself, in the two small volumes 

 which I have presented to the world. And 

 now for the cayman ; first apologising to the 

 reader for this disagreeable though necessary 

 prologue. 



Those who have had no opportunity of ex- 

 amining the crocodile and cayman in the 

 regions where they are found, may form a 

 tolerably correct notion of them (making a due 

 allowance for size) by an inspection of the 

 little lizard which inhabits the warmer parts of 

 Europe. And should they not have it in their 

 power to travel out of England, they may 

 still acquire a competent idea of these animals 

 by looking at the newt, which is common in 

 most of our gardens : for, notwithstanding the 



i 



