LACERTA. 
■back into its \ifatery recesses, till renewed 
appetite stimulates the renewal of its insidi-' 
ous exertions. These animals were occa- 
sionally exhibited by the Romans among 
their collections of the natural wonders of 
the provinces, and Scaurus and Augustus 
me both recorded to have entertained the 
people with the sight of these new and for- 
midable objects. It is reported by some 
travellers, that crocodiles are capable of 
being tamed, and are actually kept in a 
condition of harmless domestication at the 
grounds and artiticial lakes of some Afri- 
can princes, chiefly as appendages of royal 
splendour and magnificence. A single negro 
will often attack a crocodile, and by spear- 
ing it between the Scales ofthebelly, where 
it is easily penetrable, secure its destruc- 
tion. In some regions these animals are 
hunted by dogs, which, however, are care- 
fully disciplined to the exercise, and are 
armed with collars of iron spikes. Aristotle 
appears to have been the first who asserted 
that the under jaw of the crocodile was 
immovable, and from him the idea was 
transmitted and believed for a long succes- 
sion ot'ages. But the motion of the jaw in 
this animal is similar to that of all other 
quadrupeds. The ancients also thought it 
destitute of a tongue, an idea equally false. 
The tongue, however, is more fixed in this 
than in most animals to the sides of the 
month, and less capable therefore of being 
protruded. The eggs of the crocodile are 
deposited on the mud or sand of the banks 
of rivers, and, immediately on being 
hatched, the young move towards the water, 
in their passage to which, however, vast 
numbers are intercepted by ichneumons 
and birds, which watch their progress. See 
Amphibia, Plate I. fig. 4. 
L. alligator, the alligator, diflFers from the 
former species principally in being more 
smooth on the upper part of the head, and 
on tlie snout being much wider and flatter, 
and rounder at the end. It grows to the 
length of eighteen feet, and abounds parti- 
cularly in the torrid zone, but it is found so 
tar north as the river Neiis in North Caro- 
lina. It is met with both in the fresh and salt 
parts of rivers, and amidst the reeds along 
the banks, lurks in ambush for its prey, 
seizing upon dogs and cattle which ap- 
proach within the reach of its fatal bound. 
Alligators are equally formidable in their 
appearance, and ferocious in their disposi- 
tions, seizing both man and beast with al- 
most imlscrintinating voracity, and pulling 
them to the bottom to lessen their means of 
resistance, and devour them with less in- 
ruption. By the close union of the ver- 
tebrae, this animal can proceed with cele- 
rity only in a straight forward direction, so 
that the intended victims pursued by them, 
are enabled, to elude this destination by la- 
teral and cross movements. But though 
the alligator is deficient in flexibility, it sup- 
plies this defect in a great degree by saga- 
city or cunning, and appearing on the sur- 
face of the water like the stock of a tree, he 
thus attracts - various animals within its 
grasp. Fowls, fishes, and turtle, all are 
drawn, whether by curiosity or for conve- 
nience, towards this object, supposed com- 
pletely harmless, but from which the jaws of 
destruction are instantly opened to devour 
them. Alligators are said to swallow stones 
and various other substances incapable of af- 
fording nourishment, merely to prevent the 
contraction of their intestines, and thus allay 
their hunger ; and Catesby observes, that on 
opening a great number, he has seen no- 
thing but clumps of light wood and pieces 
of pine tree coal (in one instance a piece of 
the weight of eight pounds) worn by attri- 
tion to a surface perfectly smooth, implying 
that they had long remained in their bodies. 
Their eggs are deposited on the banks of 
rivers, and sometimes in a nest composed of 
vegetables with considerable care, and are 
hatched by the sun, and the young ones are 
not only devoured by fishes and birds, but 
become the victims often of their own vo- 
racious species. In Carolina they seldom 
attack men or large cattle, but are formida- 
ble enemies to hogs. From October to 
March they continue in the sequestered ca- 
verns of the river banks in a state of torpor, 
re-appearing in the spring with the most 
violent and terrific noises. Some parts of 
them are used by the Indians for food, and 
the flesh is of unattractive whiteness, but has 
a very strong flavour of musk. The growth 
of this animal, and of the crocodile, is ex- 
tremely slow, and both are imagined to be 
long lived?*- See Amphibia, Plate I. fig. 2. 
L. iguana, or the great American guana, 
is found in various parts of America and the 
West Indies. Its colour is generally green. 
Its back exhibits the appearance of a saw, 
and it is distinguished by a pouch under the 
throat, which it is able to extend or con-i 
tract at pleasure, and which gives it occa- 
sion-ally an appearance truly formidable. It 
is formidable, however, only in appearance, 
being in fact perfectly inoffensive. Its ge- 
neral length is from three to five feet ; it in- 
habits rocks and woods, and subsists on ve- 
, 1 .-- 
