TRAVELS IN 
I76 
horny warts or tubercles ; the belly or nether fhell 
is but fra all and femi cartilaginous, except a nar- 
row crofs bar connedting it at each end with the 
back fhell, which is hard and offeous; the head is 
large and clubbed, of nearly an oval form 5 the up- 
per mandible, however, is protended forward, and 
truncated, fomewha-t refembling a fwiae’s fnout, at 
the extreme end of which the noftrils are placed; 
on each fide of the root or bafe of this probofcis are 
the eyes, which are large 5 the upper beak is hook- 
ed and fharp, like a hawk’s bill ; the lips and cor- 
ners of the mouth large, tumid, wrinkled, and barb- 
ed with long, pointed warts, which he can projedi: 
and contradt at pleafure, which gives the creature 
a frightful and difagreeable countenance. They 
bury themfelves in the fluffiy bottoms of rivers 
and ponds, under the roots of frags and other 
aquatic herbage, leaving a hole or aperture juft 
fufficient for their head to play through; to fuch 
places they withdraw themfelves when hungry, and 
there feize their prey by furprife, darting out their 
heads as quick as lightning, upon the unwary ani- 
mal that unfortunately {trolls within their reach: 
they can extend their neck to a furprmng length* 
which enables them to feize young fowl fwimming 
on the ftirface of the water above them, which they 
inftantly drag down. They are feen to raife their 
heads above the furface of the water, in the depths 
of the lakes and rivers, and blow, caufing a faint 
puffing noife, fomewhat like a porpoife ; probably 
this is for paftrme, or to charge themfelves with a 
proper fupply of freffi air. They are carnivorous, 
feeding on any animal they can feize, particularly 
young ducks, frogs, and fifh. 
We had a large and fat one ferved up for our 
fuDDer% 
