408 
ON CEOCODILES 
Lake Victoria basin. The Juba Eiver crocodiles are very 
numerous, and very dangerous ; but I have never heard that 
they were of exceptional size. 
Some fifteen years ago, the Deshek Wama Lake, on the 
west bank of the Juba Eiver, dried up and remained dry for 
over a year. In the bush around the desiccated bed of the lake 
there were several thousand crocodiles lying about unable to 
move. The O.C. troops in Jubaland at the time took out a 
company of K.A.E., and many hundreds were shot at close 
quarters. 
Crocodiles live mainly on fish, but will seize buck when 
they come down to drink ; and natives allege that they 
occasionally succeed in dragging in a buffalo ; there is a well- 
known case, too, of a rhino being dragged below water by 
crocodiles. I once saw the bones of a young hippo taken out 
of a crocodile at Kisumu. 
The adult hippo is, however, immune from attack, or he 
could not inhabit the same river or lake. I once witnessed 
a difference of opinion between a hippo and a crocodile. A 
large crocodile was lying on the sandy bank of the Tana, near 
Tharaka country, and, seeing or hearing my approach, it slid 
quickly into the river. A school of hippo were blowing in the 
river just opposite, and apparently the crocodile in his rush 
collided with one. The hippo in question gave an angry snort 
and put his head down, and a violent struggle took place ; 
the water was churned up, and at one moment the back of 
the crocodile appeared above water, and then the body of the 
hippo. This went on for a minute or two. The hippo then 
put his head up and blew the water out of his nostrils as if 
nothing had happened ; so, presumably, the crocodile was 
worsted. 
There is, I believe, an old classical tale (Is it in Herodotus ?) 
that a certain plover picks the crocodile’s teeth. I have never 
seen this plover ; but once, on the Nzoia Eiver, near Mumias, 
I saw a crocodile lying on a rock with its mouth wide open, and 
a grey wagtail walking about in its mouth, but I could not 
be sure as to its object ; it was possibly picking off leeches. 
I awakened the crocodile with a shot in its flank, and it 
disappeared. Crocodile flesh is tabu to most tribes ; the 
