L A C E R T A. 
32 
remarkable, that the egg of fo large an animal, and from 
■which a creature is produced that is to become of fuch 
enormous magnitude, (hould fcarcely exceed the egg of a 
pintado or Guinea-fowl in fize. An egg of a crocodile 
of fourteen feet long, killed in Upper Egypt in the aft of 
laying, is preferved in the imperial cabinet at Paris : it is 
whitilh, and of an oval figure, and is covered by a chalky 
fhell, iimilar to that of a hen’s egg, but not fo hard ; but 
the (kin or film, immediately within the fhell, is thicker 
and lfrongerj the long diameter is two inches five lines, 
and the (hort diameter one inch eleven lines. The foetus- 
crocodiles are rolled up within the egg, and (eldom ex¬ 
ceed fix or fieven inches long when they break the fhell, 
which they fometimes do with the head, and at other 
times with the ferrated tubercles on. the back. When 
they firft come forth, they drag about with them the re¬ 
mains of the yolk, attached to the umbilical chord, and 
furrounded by its proper membrane, together with a kind 
of after-burthen, in which they had been enveloped when 
within the fhell. All thefe circumllances are very dif- 
tinCtly obfervable in the fpecimen preferved in the impe¬ 
rial cabinet, which was caught immediately on breaking 
through the fhell. The infertion of the umbilical chord 
remains very perceptible for fome time, but dilappears as 
the animal grows older ; the rows of l’cales, which were 
feparated to allow its paifage, growing together gradually, 
and concealing it. 
From the information of travellers, we are certain that 
the crocodiles do not fit upon their eggs ; indeed, inde¬ 
pendent of that teftimony, we fhould have fo concluded 
from an attentive review of the conformation and natural 
habits of the animal, notwithfianding that Pliny has re¬ 
ported that the male fits on the eggs alternately with the 
female. M. de la Borde, how'ever, writes, that, in Suri¬ 
nam, the female always keeps within a fmall difiance of 
the place where fhe has depofited her eggs, and even de¬ 
fends them with fury againlf any perlon or animal that 
attempts to approach them. Immediately on getting out 
of the eggs, they run for the water, where they are both 
in greater fecurity from danger, and better lituated to 
procure proper food. Even there, however, they are by 
no means exempted from dangers, even of the molt un¬ 
natural kind j they are not only preyed on by voracious 
fifhes, but the old crocodiles, when preffed by famine, of¬ 
ten do, from urgent necefiity, what other animals of a more 
fanguinary difpofition feem to perpetrate merely to fatisfy 
the cruelty of their difpofitions ; they devour the helplels 
young of their own kind. 
The gradual evolution and growth of the crocodile are 
■thus poetically defcribed by Dr. Darwin : 
So from his (hell, on Delta’s (howerlefs ifle, 
Burfts into birth the monfier of the Nile ; 
Firft, in tranflucent lymph, with cobweb threads 
The brain’s fine floating tiii'ue fwells and fpreads: 
Nerve after nerve the gliltening fpine defcends; 
The red heart dances, the aorta bends : 
Through each new gland the purple current glides. 
New veins meand’ring drink the refluent tides. 
Edge over edge expands each hardening fcale. 
And (heaths his (limy (kin in filver mail. 
Erewhile, emerging from the brooding land, 
With tiger-paw he prints the brinelefs ftrand : 
High on the flood with i'peckled bofiom fwims, 
Helm’d with broad tail, and oar’d with giant limbs s 
Rolls his fierce eye-balls, clafps his iron claws, 
And champs with gnalhing teeth his mafly jaws. 
Old Nilus fighs thro’ all his crane-crown’d lhores, 
And l'warthy Memphis trembles and adores. 
The crocodile prefers the banks of fuch large rivers as, 
in confequence of frequent or periodical overflowing, are 
covered with mud, in which they find abundance of tef- 
taceous fill), worms, and frogs, for food. On the (limy 
banks of thefe marftiy and wooded waters, the large cro¬ 
codile, covered over with mud, and appearing like the 
trunk of a fallen tree, often remains motionlefs fora long 
while, watching with aftonifning patience for an oppor¬ 
tunity to feize his prey. His ftillnefs, colour, and form, 
impofe on fifties, fea-fowl, tortoifes, and other animals, fo 
that they approach without fufpicion. He likewife feizes 
on (heep, goats, hogs, and even on cattle and horfes. 
While fwimming along the great rivers, he feldom raifes 
more than juft the top of his head above water, fo as to 
fee around, feeking to furprife any of the larger animals 
that may come clofe to either fhore. When he fees any 
one approach to drink, he dives and fwims under water, 
till he gets near enough to catch it by the legs, then drags 
it into the water till it is drowned, and devours it at his 
leifure. When prefled with hunger, the crocodile even 
devours mankind. Haffelquift relates, that, in Upper 
Egypt, it very often devours the women who come to 
draw water from the Nile, and the children who play 
about on the banks. Some authors pretend that it attacks 
negroes in preference to white men ; but this probably 
proceeds from the much greater number of negroes than 
whites in the countries where the obfervation has been 
made, and from the occupation of the negroes expofing 
them more to the danger of being attacked. 
As the largeft crocodiles have both occafion fora greater 
quantity of food, and are more ealily feen and avoided 
by fmall animals, they mull be expefted to fufter the ef¬ 
fects of hunger more frequently, and with greater vio¬ 
lence, than fmaller individuals, and are confequently much 
more dangerous, efpecially in the water. In this element 
he enjoys the whole of his ftrength with much greater ad¬ 
vantage than on the land. In l’pite of his great fize, and 
apparent unwieldinefs, he moves about in the water with 
great l’wiftnefs and agility, often emitting a kind of half- 
lupprelfed murmuring noife. Though the great length 
of his body prevents him from turning fuddeniy, he fwims 
forward with aftonifhing velocity, when about to feize 
his prey : this he generally throw's down with a ftroke 
of his rugged tail, then feizes it in his talons, and pulls 
it to pieces, or cuts it in two with his ltrong (harp teeth, 
and (wallows it down his enormous throat. When on the 
land, his motions are vaftly more embarrafled, and he is 
confequently then lefs dangerous ; but, though he ad¬ 
vances much (lower than in the water, he runs tolerably 
fait when the ground is fmooth, and his road is ftraight 
forward. Wherefore, on thefe occafions, the belt me¬ 
thod of efcape is by continually turning in a fmall circle. 
Thofe which inhabit the lakes are fometimes left dry, in 
confequence of the water evaporating ; and, not being 
able to reach any other water, they are forced to fubfilt 
by catching birds or land-animals, or even to live a long 
while without food; and are then extremely dangerous. 
On comparing the various relations of voyagers and 
travellers, it appears that the voracity and boldnels of this 
animal augments, dimini(hes, or is even altogether extin- 
guifiied, according to climate, fize, age, and lituation, and 
efpecially in proportion to the fcarcity or abundance of 
accuftomed food. Hunger may fometimes compel them 
even to feed on each other, and then the weaker mult ne- 
celfarily be deftroyed by the ftronger. But we cannot 
fuppole, with fome authors, either that the female con¬ 
duits her young to the water when they are hatched, or 
that (lie and the male devour all thofe that cannot run 
fwiftly. We have feen, that the heat of the fun and the 
atmolphere fuffice for hatching the eggs; that the young, 
when they come forth, find the way direitly to the water by 
themfelves ; and, as the crocodiles are never cruel except 
to fatisfy the cravings of hunger, they certainly do not 
merit the accufation of fo barbarous a repaft. But can 
we as eafily refcue man from the charge of barbarity? 
Brown relates, that he has frequently feen crocodiles kept 
feveral months without any food ; they had been put into 
ponds, after having their jaws tied together with wire! 
According to the authority of voyagers, the crocodiles 
that inhabit near the line never become torpid ; but thofe 
which inhabit near the tropics, or in higher latitudes, re¬ 
tire 
