44 
CROCODILE. 
animate the countenance with rage., even in the 
animal’s most tranquil moments. The almost im- 
penetrable armour which defends the body of the 
crocodile is composed of hard scales, continued from 
the head to the tail, which is very long ; and be- 
sides the common covering has two rows of upright 
processes which proceed from the lower part of the 
back. The legs and feet are very strong, and the 
latter are furnished with sharp curved claws. The 
colour of the crocodile when arrived at his full 
size is a dark brown above, approaching to black ; 
the under side is yellowish white. 
Crocodiles are seen in vast shoals in some of the 
large rivers of Africa, where they float upon the 
surface without any apparent motion, and have been 
frequently mistaken, at a little distance, for the 
trunks of trees covered with a rough bark. This 
appearance of torpidity, however, is merely assumed 
by the creature to deceive his prey ; for the mo- 
ment an animal approaches within reach he darts 
upon it, and sinks at once to the bottom. In this 
manner of attack the crocodile is said by Dr. Shaw 
to be exactly imitated by the lacerta palustris, or 
water newt, which, though not more than four or 
five inches long, will swallow an insect of more 
than an inch in length with one single effort, and 
that with a motion so quick that the eye can 
scarcely follow it. To accomplish its purpose the 
newt poises itself in the water, and having gained a 
proper distance springs at once upon its prey. Dr. 
Shaw justly observes, that if a small lizard of four or 
