STORY OF THE CROCODILE. 
I shall treat of the crocodile and alligator in the same chapter, since the 
habits and general characteristics of one are in great measure similar to the 
other. During my various journeys it has been my unhappy lot to see eight 
human beings killed, besides a score mangled by these ferocious creatures. 
I would sooner attack a lion single-handed than be placed in proximity to 
one of these man-eating reptiles. The blood-curdling scenes which I have 
witnessed are still fresh in my memory, and I cannot shake off the feeling of 
horror they frequently bring to me. These creatures have rightfully been 
termed the lion and tiger of the reptile world. 
The crocodile is an inhabitant of the old world, the alligator of the new, 
and the two animals are best distinguished by the construction of the jaws. 
In the crocodiles the lower canine teeth fit into a notch in the edge of the 
upper jaw, and there is in consequence a contraction of the muzzle just 
behind the nostrils. The lower canine teeth of the alligators fit into a pit 
in the edge of the upper jaw, and in consequence no contraction is needed. 
At the back of the throat is a valve completely shutting out water, but leav¬ 
ing the passage to the nostrils free, so that the crocodile can keep his mouth 
open when beneath the surface, without swallowing the water, or can hold 
his prey to drown under the water, while he breathes at ease with his nostrils 
at the surface. There is no true tongue. 
The common crocodile inhabits many African rivers, and is, probably, 
the reptile infesting the Ganges. The Nile, however, is the best known 
haunt for this terrible creature. 
SIS 
