THE ISLAND OF JAVA. 197 
canum in animal pathology ; but it is pretty evident that 
the poison is secreted by the salivary glands, and conveyed 
into the circulation with the spittle of the morbid animal. 
Most of the wild quadrupeds of Java, from the huge I'hino- 
sceros and the fierce buffalo to the least of all known four footed 
beasts Avith the hoofs divided, the Moschus Pig)naus or pigmy 
deer, are sufficiently well known to naturalists. Large crocodiles 
abound in the rivers and creeks, which the Javanese, from their 
being objects of terror, have raised to those of adoration. The 
ancient story, first recorded by Herodotus, and after his day 
repeated by Plutarch and Pliny, and quoted in modern 
times by Montaigne and many others, concerning the Tro- 
chikis or humming bird picking the teeth of the crocodile, is 
firmly believed both by the Dutch and the natives. There is 
not, in fact, any thing marvellous in the story. . This huge 
animal, fond of rolling in muddy waters, crawls on shore, 
havino; his rough hide bedaubed with slime swarmino; with 
worms and other animated beings. By these are attracted 
numbers of little birds, perching on various parts of the 
monster's carcase, whilst he is basking and sleeping in the 
sun with his jaws yawning wide open. The Boa snake, 
found in the forests of Java, is no less formidable than, and 
not inferior in magnitude to, the crocodile. Some of these 
are thirty feet long, and are said to be able to gorge the 
calves of bufFalos whole, and the largest hogs ; after which, 
attaching themselves to trees by the taii, they remain in a 
state of torpidity till the animals they have suallowed are 
digested or dissolved. These woods abound in that species 
of wild hedge-hog, the Efinaceus Malaccensis, in the gall- 
