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The only animals of this genus which are common in Great Britain are, the SCALY LIZARD, which is about six inches in length; the BROWN LIZARD, or EFT, which is about three inches long; and the WARTY LIZARD, or SALAMANDER, of which we shall presently treat more at large.

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Is an animal placed at a happy distance from the inhabitants of Europe, and formidable only in those regions where men are scarce, and arts are little known. To look for it in all its terrors, we must go to the uninhabited regions of Africa, Asia, and America. It is, however, a native of Egypt, where it was formerly worshipped.

Of this terrible animal there are two kinds; the Crocodile, properly so called, and the Cayman or Alligator. Travellers, however, have rather made the distinction than Nature; for in the general outline, and in the nature of

these two animals, they are entirely the same. The distinctions usually made between the Crocodile and Alligator are these: the body of the Alligator is less slender than that of the Crocodile; and its snout is broad, blunt, and less produced than that of the true Crocodile. The fourth tooth on each side of the lower jaw of the Alligator enters a hole in the upper when the mouth is closed, and the toes are only half webbed.

This animal grows to a great length, being sometimes found thirty feet long from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail; its most usual length, however, is eighteen. One which was dissected by the Jesuits at Siam was eighteen feet and a half, French measure, in length; of which the tail was no less than five feet and a half, and the head and neck above two feet and a half. It was four feet nine inches in circumference, where thickest. The fore legs had the same parts and conformation as the arms of a man both within and without. The hands, if they may be so called, had five fingers; the two last of which had no nails, and were of a conical figure. The hinder legs, including the thigh and paw, were two feet two inches long; the paws, from the joint to the extremity of the longest claws, were about nine inches; they were divided into four toes, of which three were armed with large claws, the longest of which was an inch and a half; these toes were united by a membrane, like those of a duck, but much thicker. The head was long, and had a little rising at the top; but the rest was flat, and especially towards the extremity of the jaws. It was covered by a skin, which adhered firmly to the skull and to the jaws. The skull was rough and unequal in several places. The eye was very small in proportion to the rest of the body. The jaws seemed to shut one upon the other; and nothing can be more false than that the animal's under jaw is without motion; it moves,

like the lower jaw in all other animals, while the upper is fixed to the skull, and absolutely immoveable. The ani mal had twenty-seven cutting teeth in the upper jaw, and fifteen in the lower, with several void spaces between them. The distance of the two jaws, when opened as wide as they could be, was fifteen inches and a half; this is a very wide yawn, and could easily enough take in the body of a man. From the shoulders to the extremity of the tail, the animal was covered with large scales, of a square form, disposed like parallel girdles. The creature was covered not only with these, but all over with a coat of armour; which, however, contrary to what has been commonly asserted, was not proof against a musket-ball. It had no bladder; but the kidney sent the urine to be discharged by the anus. There were sixty-two joints in the backbone, which, though very closely united, had sufficient play to enable the animal to bend like a bow to the right and the left; so that what we hear of escaping the creature by turning out of the right line, and of the animal's not being able to wheel readily after its prey, seems to be fabulous.

Such is the figure and conformation of this formidable animal, that depopulates countries, and makes the most navigable rivers desert and dangerous. They are seen in some places lying for whole hours, and even days, stretched in the sun, and motionless; so that one not used to them might mistake them for trunks of trees, covered with a rough and dry bark; but the mistake would soon be fatal, if not prevented: for the torpid animal, at the near approach of any living thing, darts upon it with instant swiftness, and at once drags it down to the bottom. In the times of an inundation, they sometimes enter the cottages of the natives, where the dreadful visitant seizes the first animal it meets with. There have been several examples of their taking a man out of a canoe in the sight of his companions, without their being able to lend him any assistance.

The strength of every part of the Crocodile is very great; and its arms, both offensive and defensive, irresistible. Most naturalists have remarked, from the shortness of its legs, the amazing strength of the tortoise: but what is the strength of such an animal, compared to that of the Crocodile, whose legs are very short, and whose size is so superior? Its principal instrument of destruction is the tail; with a single blow of this it has often overturned a canoe, and seized upon the poor savage, its conductor.

Though not so powerful, yet it is very terrible even upon land. The Crocodile seldom, except when pressed by hunger, or with a view of depositing its eggs, leaves the water. Its usual method is to float along upon the surface, and seize whatever animals come within its reach; but when this method fails, it then goes closer to the bank. Disappointed of its fishy prey, it there waits, covered up among the sedges, in patient expectation of some land animal that may come to drink; the dog, the bull, the tiger, or man himself. Nothing is to be seen of the insidious destroyer as the animal approaches; nor is its retreat discovered till it be too late for safety. It seizes the victim with a spring, and goes at a bound much faster than so unwieldy an animal could be thought capable of; then, having secured the creature with both teeth and claws, it drags it into the water, instantly sinks with it to the bottom, and in this manner quickly drowns it.

Sometimes it happens that the creature the Crocodile has thus surprised escapes from its grasp wounded, and makes off from the river-side. In such a case, the tyrant pursues with all its force, and often seizes it a second time: for, though seemingly heavy, the Crocodile runs with great celerity. In this manner it is sometimes seen above half a mile from the bank, in pursuit of an animal wounded beyond the power of escaping, and then dragging it back to the river-side, where it feasts in security.

It often happens, in its depredations along the bank, that the Crocodile seizes on a creature as formidable as itself, and meets with the most desperate resistance. We are told of frequent combats between the Crocodile and the tiger. All creatures of the tiger kind are continually oppressed by a parching thirst, that keeps them in the vicinity of great rivers, whither they descend to drink very frequently. It is upon these occasions that they are seized by the Crocodile; and they die not unrevenged. The instant they are seized upon, they turn with the greatest agility, and force their claws into the Crocodile's eyes, while he plunges with his fierce antagonist into the river. There they continue to struggle for some time, till at last the tiger is drowned.

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In this manner the Crocodile seizes and destroys all animals, and is equally dreaded by all. There is no animal, but man alone, that can combat it with success. assured by Labat, that a negro, with no other weapons than a knife in his hand, and his left arm wrapped round with a cow's hide, ventures boldly to attack the animal in his own element. As soon as he approaches the Crocodile, he presents his left arm, which the animal swallows most greedily; but sticking in his throat, the negro has time to give it several stabs under the throat; and the water also getting in at the mouth, which is held involuntarily open, the creature is soon bloated up as big as a tun, and expires.

Whatever be the truth of these accounts, certain it is that Crocodiles are taken by the Siamese in great abundance. The manner of taking them is, by throwing three or four strong nets across a river, at proper distances from each other; so that, if the animal breaks through the first, it may be caught by one of the rest. When it is first taken, it employs its tail with great force; but, after many

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