XIII 
THE CROCODILE 
43 
to reach an object with its jaws, it will frequently 
strike with the tail so suddenly that the animal or 
person is tripped up, and knocked into the water, to 
be instantly seized by the teeth and carried off. I 
have watched upon many occasions the stealthy 
advance of a crocodile to capture small birds, when 
in flights of many thousands they have settled upon 
the yielding branches of dwarf willows overhanging 
the Atbara river. The elastic boughs bent down 
beneath the weight of the innumerable flock, and 
the crocodiles head appeared above the surface 
at a distance, sank below, and quickly reappeared 
(the eyes and crown alone above the water) within 
io yards of the unsuspecting birds, all of which were 
busily engaged in twittering excitement, quarrelling 
for places, and occasionally dipping their beaks in 
the water when the bending twigs permitted them 
to drink. In a few moments after the disappear¬ 
ance of the wary eyes, a tremendous splash was 
accompanied by a pair of open jaws, which swept 
the occupants of the lower branches into the greedy 
throat. This artful attack was frequently repeated, 
and generally with success. 
The Soudanese Arabs eat the flesh of crocodiles, 
therefore a professional hunter can earn his living 
by the value of various portions of the reptile, in 
addition to the musk. The skin is soaked until it be¬ 
comes soft : it is then cut into long, thin strips, to be 
used for lashing any wood-work that may be frac¬ 
tured. No animal's hide is so hard as that of the 
crocodile when treated in this manner, and a good 
