15G 
HABITS 0E THE CAYMAN. 
or hunger. The animal in running makes a rustling noise, 
which seems to proceed from the rubbing of the scales of its 
skin one against another. In this movement it bends it* 
back, and appears higher on its legs than when at rest. Yv'<: 
often heard this rattling of the scales very near us on the 
shore ; but it is not true, as the Indians pretend, that, like 
the armadillo, the old crocodiles “can erect their scales, and 
every part of their armour.” The motion of these animals 
is no doubt generally in a straight line, or rather like that ol 
an arrow, supposing it to change its direction at certain 
distances. However, notwithstanding the little apparatus ol 
false ribs, which connects the vertebrae of the neck, and 
seems to impede the lateral movement, crocodiles can turn 
easily when they please. I often saw young ones biting 
their tails ; and other observers have seen the same action in 
crocodiles at their full growth. If their movements almost 
always appear to be straight forward, it is because, like our 
small lizards, they move by starts. Crocodiles are excellent 
swimmers ; they go with facility against the most rapid 
current. It appeared to mo, however, that in descending 
the river, they had some difficulty in turning quickly about. 
A large dog, which had accompanied us in our journey' 
from Caracas to the Bio .Negro, was one day pursued 
m swimming by an enormous crocodile. The latter had 
nearly reached its prey, when the dog escaped by turn* 
ing round suddenly and swimming against the current- 
The crocodile performed the same movement, but much 
more slowly than the dog, which succeeded in gaining the 
shore. 
The crocodiles of the Apure find abundant food in the 
chiguires (thick-nosed tapirs),* which live fifty or sixty 
together in troops on the banks of the river. These animals, 
as large as our pigs, have no weapons of defence ; they swu" 
somewhat better than they run : yet they become the pr®/ 
* Cavia capybara, Linn. The word chiguire belongs to the language 
of the Palenkas and the Cumanagotos. The Spaniards call this ani® 8 * 
guardalirwja ; the Caribs, capigua; the Tamanacs, cappiva; and th® 
Maypures, c/iiato. According to Azara, it is known at Buenos Ayres bj 
the Indian names of capiygua and capiguara. These various deno® 1 ' 
nations show a striking analogy between the languages of the Orino® 8 
and those of the Rio de la Plata. 
