The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-05-25
HlbernatlnS Animals.


HlbernatInS Animals.
The crocodile lives two lives, one in water |
and the other OH land. In bulk it is one of
the largest of our terrestrial or marine ami |
mails, and is from twenty to thirty feet long.
1t has large mouth with numerous frighttul
teeth, dispoted in single row on each side of
the upper and lower jaws. Its depressed
body is covered, on The upper side, with solid,
bony shields, which cannot be penetrated by
sword or bullet. Its feet are armed with four
or five claws; and its tail is fattened at the
sides. The body stands low on the ground,
and the animal, when not excited, presents a
dull and sluggish appearance. The croco-
dile's natural element is the water, only
about one fourth OF its existence being passed
on land. 1t frequents the muddy edges and
thick reeds of tranquil streams, and some
| times descends rivers to within the flowing of
the tide. When ON land it moves in a strisht
| line with slow pace, and seems to enjoy per-
feet Incidence better than wholesome activ-
| ity. This trait of character is also human.
| When in pursuit OF prey, whether on land or
| in water. its motions are sufficiently rapid.
In capturing its prey, it manfests skill that
would be creditabe to animals of far more
intelligence. The unsuspecting victim comes
to the edge of the water to drink, and Is first
apprised of its danger by violent blow of the
|
either into the water or the crecodiles mouth.
If the victim be q horse or an OK, it is seized
by the nostrils and dragged into the water
and held there to be drowned. When the
animal is dead it is conveyed to some place
and left to purify before it is devoured. The
crocodile cannot eat in the water, and hence
its prey is always carried to the land. Though
it spends most of its time in the water, it is
comp elled to come TO the surface to breath
once in an hour o: an hour and half. If it
has fixed its teeth upon its victim, there can
be 10 hope of release. After bein. shaken to
pieces, it will be swallowed without mastica-
ton.
C1oeodiles are oviparous, but their eggs are
very small in proportion to the size of the
reptile-not larger than goose egg. They
are laid in circular form, in Successive lay
ers i'll cavity in the earth prepared for the
purpose. Each layer is covered with earth,
and the whole buried some inches deep. Now
they are left to be Matched by the heat Of the
sun. How does the old crocodile know this
can be done, and what prompts her frequently
to visit the spot as the term of exclusion
approaches? And when she hears the young
crOcodlles yeIp, why does she hasten to pro
tect and guide them? They say this is in
stinct-crocodile instinct. But what is in,
stinct? Who can tell? Having withdrawn
her young from their nest, the mother leads
them to the nearest water and exercises hel
greatest vigilance to protect and care for them
In these efforts she meets with 4 strange
enemy. The male crocodile perpetually seeks
the deStrucii ion of these Young ones. Fol
three months he watches his opportunity tc
destroy them. This seems to be family
trouble, with antagonism that threatens fear.
tul results to the race. This species of rapt lie
is very powerful aud voracous able and
ready to overpower human beings whenever
found within reach
The crocodile was held sacred by The
Egyptians of the Lower Nile but in the
Elephantine region, its flesh was eaten as
food. We are informed that thirty-sx of
these monsters were introduced by Augustus
at the amphtheatre of Rome. The Egyptials
sometimes tanned them and ornamented them
with gold rings and precious stones set in
Their ears and bracelets upon their feet lu
this condition, they presented them to the
veneration of the people. One curious fact
is related by the historian Herodotus which
has been confirmed by modern observations
viz: that the bird called the plover is accus-
toned to enter the mouth OF he crocodile
when open to feed OH the parasitic worms on
its tongue; and that the reptile tolerates this
process, because it gives relief. In modern
times this species IS not found in the Lower
Nile, and is common in that river only to the
south of Middle Egypt. IL is still found
however, in many of the large rivers of
Africa. Several species of the crocodile are
found in Africa and Asia, but they are all
much like those above described. The st.
Domingo crocodile has its scaly plates Oh the
back arranged in four lines. 1t is common
in the rivers and marshes of Hayti and in
most of the other large West India Islands.
Another species is found in Cuba. This kind
have jaws of enormous length with a long
slender snout, on the extremity of which
there is large cafilaginous protuberance in
which the nostrils are situated. Its teeth are
numerous and of nearly the same size
throughout the jaws. 1t attains to the length
OF thirty feet. 1t is not dangerous to man
and large administration Home Journal.