338 
THE PLOVER. 
his palate, naturally of a bright yellow colour, appears covered 
with a blackish-brown crust. Then it is that this little 
Plover, which lives on these insects, comes to the aid of the 
half-choked crocodile, and relieves him of his tormentors ; 
and this without any risk, as the crocodile, before shutting 
his mouth, takes care, by a preparatory movement, to warn 
the bird to be off. This singular process is, moreover, not 
confined to the crocodiles of Egypt : it has been noticed in 
those of the West Indies, where, when attacked in a similar 
manner by small flies, called Maringouins, a little bird ( Todus 
viridis), which lives chiefly on flies and insects, performs the 
same kind office. 
In the above cases, the food of the bird is said to be flies, 
but there is good reason for believing that perfect reliance 
may be placed on the account of Herodotus, and that leeches 
and insects are the objects sought for; as a letter from a 
gentleman in Calcutta was read at a late meeting of the 
Linnsean Society, in London, describing certain leeches which 
had been taken from the throat of a large alligator (which 
are also found to infest the throat of the Gigantic Crane, or 
Hurgila, already mentioned) : these leeches were of various 
sizes, some exceedingly minute, of a florid red when alive, 
semi-transparent, and thus showing the blood they had 
swallowed. 
In some parts of Prance, where Plovers fly in large 
flocks, they are decayed into nets spread on the ground 
by the playing of a looking-glass, which attracts their 
notice, — with the addition of some stuffed birds, and here 
and there a live one intermixed. In another part they 
are hunted at night with torches, the light of which attracts 
them. 
Woodcocks and Snipes are too well known to require 
description, as far as their outward appearance is con- 
cerned. But in their habits, and more particularly in the 
migrations of the former, there is much to excite our 
curiosity. With few exceptions, other birds manifest a fond- 
ness for each other’s society, and even if they do not fly in 
flocks, may be found associating together, as if they disliked 
a lonely, solitary life. Hot so the Woodcock and the Snipe; 
