fmall fpecies of water lizard not uncommon in otir 
own country; viz. the Lacerta paluftris of Linnaeus* 
This animal, which is commonly about four or five 
inches long, will, with the greateft eafe, fwallow an 
infedt of more than an inch in length ; and that at 
one fingle effort, and with a motion fo quick, that 
the eye can fcarce purfue it. It poifes itfelf in the 
water for fomc moments before, and having gained a 
convenient diftance, fprings with the utmoft celerity 
on the infedl and fwallows it as before mentioned. 
If therefore a fmall lizard of four or five inches long 
can thus inftantaneoufly fwallow an animal a fourth 
part of its own length, we need not wonder that a 
Crocodile of eighteen or twenty feet, or even much 
lefs, fhould attack and fuddenly ingorge a dog or 
other quadruped. 
Crocodiles, like the reft of the Lacertas, are ovi¬ 
parous : they depofit their eggs in the fand, near, 
or on the banks ; and the young when hatched im¬ 
mediately proceed to the water ; but the major part 
of the eggs are commonly devoured by other ani¬ 
mals, as Ichneumons, Birds, &c. The egg of the 
Crocodile is not much larger than that of a goofe; 
and in external appearance bears the molt perfect 
refemblar\ce to the egg of a bird ; being covered 
with a calcarious fhell, under which is a membrane. 
When the young are firft excluded the head bears a 
much larger proportion to the body than when full- 
grown. The eggs are numbered among the princi¬ 
pal delicacies of Africa, and form one of the molt 
favorite repafts. From fo fmall an origin arifes this 
formidable monfter ! 
