The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-06
CRoCoDILEs AND ALLIaAToRs.
What Science Knows About Them
come Misconceptions Exploded.

CaOCOD1LES AND ALJIGATORS.
What Science Knows About Them
come Misconceptions Exploded.
From the Washington Star.
'Of all the many Kinds of crocodiles, :"
said a scientist connected with the Smith
sonian Institution to StarrepOrter, "there
are only two really dangerous man-eating
varieties-both of them belonging to Asia,
over which continent they are widely dis
trlbuted. They are brackish water saurians,
lnhabltlng the rivers near the
sea, and they sometimes grow 20
be as much as eighteen feet in length One
reason why they are so dangerous is that
they are given to hiding, never doing more
than to poke nose and an eye above water,
so that one might live for some time along
side pool infested with them and yet not
suspect their presence. The worst of all
crocodiles are of the kind known to science
as the 'Porosus' from the remarkable
roughness of their heads.
A CONVENIENCE OF NATURE.
Speaking of the way the crocodile has of
floating with only an eye and a nose above
the surface reminds me of a wonderful pro-
vision which nature has made for the
animals convenience. In Selling a duck,
for instance, and swallowing it, the creature
would be choked by the water we're it not
for the fact that its palate so acts as to
form a plug for the windpipe, and thus
keeps the fluid out while the morsel
passes down the alimentary canal. Some
other peculiarities of structure the great
lizard has-among them heart with four
chambers to it. The lower jaw is so ar
ranged mechanically, being attached to a
process extending backward from the skull,
as to give it an extraordinary cape, like
that of a snake. Herodotus. who was no
no anatomist, was lei on this account to as
sert that the CROCODILE unlike all other
animals, "opens its upper jaw as we'll as 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
a man in half or chewing his leg off: but
that is not the wav in which the beast
operates. It's teeth are made for Selling
prey and not for cutting it. Consequently,
when it gets hold Of man or any other
animal too big to swallow whole, it plants
the tidbit in the mud and leaves it there
until it has become sufficiently decomposed
to tear apart. The female lays eggs
from twenty to sixty in number, and
each one inclosed in 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 is the
habit of the alligator, however-e sort of
crocodile exclusively belonging to America
to make a hillock, which it hollows out
and fills with leaves and other decaying
vegetable matter, wherein, by the heat gen
Grated in the decomposing mass, the eggs
are incubated.
THE BABY CROCODILES.
"On quitting the eggs the. infant croco-
dies are led to the water by the mother,
who feeds them with food which she her
self 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 as a comesti-
bic. being nearly as large as those of
goose.
A WELCOME GUEST.
"Of course every one has heard, what is
quite true. OF the bird-a small black
headed plover-which is welcomed by the
crocodile as a guest who will rid its mouth
of leeches by walking in and pecking them
out. Humboldt, the great naturalist,
speaks of having frequently seen the huge
reptiles lying basking in the sunshine with
open jaws, motionless, their uncouth bodies
covered with birds Even the flesh of
though European epicures have declared
that it has q combined flavor of rotten fish
and musk.
A DIVINITY OF THE NILE.
"The crocodile of the Nile was regarded
by the ancient Egyptians as a divinity. At
Memphis and other cities temples were
raised in its honor, where live crocodies
were kept, and the saced rep lies were
reared with greatest care, fed luxuriously
and adorned with costly trinkets. They
were made perfectly tame aud took part IN
the religious professions and other cere-
monies performed in their honor. When
dead their bodies were embalmed, and ex-
tensive catacombs filed with such reptiliau
mummies have been discovered at Maabdeh.
CAPTURING THE CRoCoDILEs.
"Where the dangerous crocodiles abound
the natives have a very effective method Of
taking them, fastening upon the end of a
strong rope piece of wood sharp pointed
at both ends, with meat bait wrapped
around it. The reptile, when the bait is
thrown into the water swallows it whole
a strong jerk by the fisherman fixes the
wooden contrivance crosswise in the throat
or stomach, and it only remains to pull the
beast to shore and dispatch him with bul-
lot in the eye or knife thrust behind tine
fore arm, taking care 30 keep clear of the
swing of his formidable tail meanwhile
Crocodile leather is valuable-likewise the
creatures teeth. which are Of very good
ivory-and the negroes Of the southern Mis-
sisslppi are said to be extremely fond Of the
flesh of the alligator's tail.
ANCIENT AND MODERN.
During the period when the crocodile
was worshiped by Cleopatra's loyal sub
jects as a god the inhabitants of some of
the Egyptian cities, such as Apolinopolis,
believed quite the contrary, and were
of the opinion that the best was an
incarnation of the devil himself. They
used to go upon annual hunts for the
creatures. Staying them by thousands and
offering them as sacrifices. In Florida
there are two varieties of crocodiles as well
as five varieties of alligators. 1t 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 sort Of barking sound. Ages
ago crocodiles twenty feet in length or
more were common in the region Of the
Potomac, aud it would have been dangerous
then TO battle in the waters hereabout."