222 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



the reptiles and birds of America (I) the fame degeneracy 

 which they fuppofe in quadrupeds. Mr. de Paw fays 

 of American crocodiles, whofe ferocity is notorious, that 

 it appears from the obfervations of Mr. du Pratz, and 

 others, that they have not the fury and impetuofity 

 of thofe of Africa. But Hernandez, who knew both the 

 one and the other, found no diiference between them 

 Acofta fays, that thofe of America are extremely fierce 

 but How ; but this flownefs is not in a progreffive line 

 forwards, in which motion they are moft fwift and 

 active, but in turning only, or bending from one fide 

 to another, as is the cafe with the crocodiles of Africa, 

 on account of the inflexibility of their vertebra. Her- 

 nandez affirms that the Acuetzpalin, or Mexican croco- 

 dile, flies from thofe who attack it, but purfues thofe 

 who fly from it, although the former cafe happens more 

 feldom than the latter. Pliny fays the fame thing of 

 African crocodiles (n). In fhort, if we compare what 

 Pliny fays of the latter with what Hernandez fays of the 

 former, it will appear that there is not even a difference 

 of fize between them (<?). 



With 



(/) The count de Buffon might fay, as he obferves in vol- xviii. that we 

 ought not to confider the birds with refpeel; to climate in this particular, be- 

 caufe it being eafy for them to pafs from one climate to another, it would be al- 

 moft impoffible to determine which belonged properly to the one or to the 

 other. But as the caufe of the paffage of birds is the cold or the heat of the fea- 

 fons, which they wilh to avoid, on this account the American birds have na 

 occafion to leave their continent, becaufe there they have countries of every 

 fort of clime to fhelter themfelves from every hurtful feafon, and where they 

 can always find their food. We are altogether certain, that the Mexican birds 

 do not travel to the old continent. 



(«) Hern. Hift. Nat. lib. ix. cap. 3. 



(«) Terribilis hasc contra fugaces bellua eft, fugax contra infequentes. Plin. 

 Hift. Nat. lib. viii. cap. 25. 



(0) Pliny fays that the African crocodile is often more than eighteen cubits* 

 or twenty-feven Roman feet in length. Hernandez affirms that the Mexican 



crocodile 



