Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-21

kind known TO science the 'Porosus from
the remarkable roughness of their heads.
CONVENIENCE OF NATURE.
Speaking Of the way the crocodile has OF
floating with only eve and nose above the
surface reminds me of a wonderful provision
which nature has made for the animals con-
venience. In seizing a duck. for instance.
and swallowing il. the creature would be
choked by the water were il not for the fact
that its palate acts as to form plug for the
windpipe. and thus keeps the fluid ont while
the morsel passes down the alimentary canal.
Some other peculiarities of structure the great
lizard has-among them a heart with four
chambers TO it. The lower Jaw is SO arranged
mechanically, being attached to process ex-
tending backward from the skull. ss TO give II
an extraordinary cape. like that Of a snake.
Herodotus. who was no anstomist. was led on
this account to assert that the crocodile. I'M
like all other animals "opens its upper jaw
A. well ss its lower one. The teeth replace
themselves In a curious way. so that when one
is lost another grows up in the same socket
TEETH TO TEAR WITH.
"You often read about crocodile's biting
man in half or chewing his leg of: but that is
not the way in which the beast operates. lts
teeth are made for Selling prey and not for
cuttingN. Consequently. when it gets hold Of
a man or any other animal too big to swallow
whole it plants the tidbit I'm the mud and
leaves il there until II has become sufficiently
decomposed to tear apart The female Laws
eggs-from twenty 20 sixty in number and
each one inclosed I'm a shell--in holes made in
the sand or mud by the side of river or lagoon.
where they are usually left to be Matched by
the heat of the sun. 1t il the habit Of the
alligator, however, sort of crocodile eXclu-
siyely belonging to America-to make a hill
lock, which it hollows out and fills with leaves
and other decaying vegetable matter. wherein,
by the heat generated in the decomposing
mass, the eggs are incubated.
THE BABY cRoCoDuFs.
ION quitting the eggs the infant crocodiles
are led TO the water by the mother. who feeds
them with food which she herself disgorges and
otherwise shows great solicitude for their
safety. The male takes no part in rearing the
young. but Is said. on the contrary, to attack
and devour them when he can. Fishes and
turtles are also very fond of young crocodiles.
and even by human beings the eggs in regions
where they are found. notwithstanding their
musky flavor, are much priced a comestible.
being nearly as large as those of goose.
WELCOME GUEST.
''Of course every one has heard. what IL
quite true, Of the bird-a small black headed
plover-which is welcomed by the crocodile as
guest who will rid its mouth of leeches by
walking in and pecking them out Humboldt,
the great naturalist. speaks Of having fire.
the sunshine with open jaws motionless their
uncouth bodies covered with birds. Even the
flesh of crocodiles is often eaten as food though
European epicures have declared that il has a
combined flavor of rotten fish and musk.
DIVINITY OF THE NILE.
The crocodile of the Nile was regarded by
the ancient Egyptians as divinity. At
Memphis anG other cities temples were raised
in its honor. where live crocodiles were kept.
ap1 tb,
greatest care. fed luxuriously and adorned with
costly trinkets. They were made perfectly
tame and took part in the religious professions
and other ceremonies performed in their honor
When dead their bodies were embalmed and
extensive catacombs filled with such reptilian
mummies have beer discovered at Maabdeh.
CAPTURING THE cRocoDILts.
Where the dangerous crocodiles abound the
natives have very effective method OF taking
them, fastening upon the end OF a strong rope
piece of wood sharply pointed at both ends.
with meat bais wrapped around l.. The reptile
when the bait Is thrown into the water swal-
lows II whole: strong jerk by the fisherman
nNes the wooden contrivance crosswise in the
throat OF stomach. and il only remains, to null
the beast to shore and dispatch him with bull
let in the eye or knife thrust behind the for.
arm. taking care to keep clear of the swing of
his formidable tail meanwhile Crocodile leather
10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the creatures teeth which
southern Mississippi are said TO be extremely
fond OF the flesh of the alligators tail
ANCIENT AND MODERN
During the period when the crocodile was
worshiped by Cleopatra's loyal subjects as a
god the inhabitants of some of the Egyptian
cities. such as Apollinopolis. believed quite the
contrary, and were of the opinion that the
beas: was an incarnation of the devil himself
They usec TO go upon annual hunts for the
creatures. staying them by thousands and offer
ing them sacrifices. In Florida there are
two varieties of crocodles well as five varie-
ties of alligatOrs. Ii is said that in Louisiana
and Florida the alligator is the inmate of many
lonely swamp dwellings and is sometimes used
for the purposes of watch dog frequently
emitting a sort of barking sound. Ages ago
crocodiles twenty feet in length or more were
common in the region of the Potomac. and it
would have been dangerous then to battle in
the waters hereabout"