Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1896-12-04

40 ONS tahce us &c paftuFc aHCthcI OC---
pies its place. No crocodile has heszs.
known 10 suffer ether from the con3--
mon variety of toothache or the more
aristocratic form of neuralgia This Is
due, some think, to his avoidance Of
sweets and alcoholic drinks, tfoggn i .
is but right to say that this opinion y
not general among scientists. There
three families of the reptile The
gavial, the trae crocodile, and the ali
gator. II. however, a man, while en-
joying a quiet swim, were 10 TBeersa
member of either of these familsss.
face to face, the chances are that he-
would be unable to say, on the spuT Of
the moment, 10 which family the reptile
belonged.
Personally, I would, under such cir
cumstances, dislike to meet crocodile
as much as an alligator. or Z sauF5aEsi
just as much as a caiman or a gaxiase
There are times when differences are
merged into distinctions, and when the
latter are not apparent to the noked sye--
There l. not much in a name so far rs
practically, there is no more advantage
in being mangled BY an alligator II
North America than BY a cainan II
South or Central America; by crocO-
die in Africa, or a gavial in Asia. or B.
saurian anywhere. The clothing worTz-
by the reptile is the same, no matter II
what country he is found. It consists.
of numerous square bony Plate---
These form complete dorsal shiel0
that. in spots. will turn bullet inTos
other channels. There is no hours n
ment TO be found on the armour of the
crocodile, yet it is generally occupied By
several brigades of insects ana 00s-
small bird. This, of course, Is onl-y7
when the reptile is basking on the shoss--
He is so fond of burying himself ~
mud of a productive character that th@=
insects find upon mis- back all they az
in immediate need Of The bra Wants
the insects. He is a grateful bird, Foz
the moment he sees an enemy to k6z
friend he makes a commotion that ~
once attracts the atter's attention. The
crocodile is at once alive to the occasion
If there is time to make his escape bs=
does so, as. in spite of his teeth and tzi
and iron hide, he is coward. If tbeTz-
is not time to get away he plays pos
sum-" and he does it we'll
No crocodile can stand tickling If Dr.
is tickled where his stumpy limbs 5oir-a
his body. While he can handle hi7ass e 2
with ease and dexterity in the watez
his movements on land are devoid Of :
grace. His legs are unable to bear ha--
weight, so that he is compelled, II Il
great measure, to drag his body on tire
ground By an interposition of PrOya--
dence his neck is so stiff that if You zTz-
standing along side of him, amiGshi7s-
and he wants TO look you straight II sss-
eye he is compelled to turn his wh03a=
body. This gives a nervous person. TIVE
TO take to the woods, If there are SEIss
When he lashes out with his tail it eosz
tains quite as many elements of dang<--
as an intoxicated lawn mower. Soz7e
natives of Africa consider the flesh or
the tail a delicacy. No white man hzz-
ever been able to swallow a bit of eros
odile and keep 1t down. The favor -
several degrees more overpoweriDg tAaH--
a ten-year-old egg. The crocodile car
work his lower jaw, which enables aT17ze
to yawn with great freedom and % 5Ttz-
off more than he can swallow at q >iz-
gle gup. The female never makes EF,s--
mistake of laying her eggs in the war en-
She laws them on the river bank. cover.
them partially with any light mareT5asl
that is handy, and lets the sun DC ths
rest. When Matched the young azA
taken to the water. She feeds them OF
the principle adopted by the fenale
cormorant, and to this the kids offer &c
objection, being without experie1re
The father crocodile pays no atrenu01F
TO his children, unless he can catch
them alone, when he makes a meal %
them. He never attempts to do any
thing of this sort, however, when thz-
mother is in the vicinity The croco-
die has no objection 10 regular mr. ar
but in the dry season he buries hims=lt
in the mud and goes to sleep after the
manner of the bear in winter IN this
way he will sometimes 90 without fecz
for a year. Upon waking from Il nap OF
this duration he is something 10 bE
avoided. If nothing happens 10 inter
fere with his growth, and ne comes Of
robust family, a crocodile viii measure
feet in length upon reachi7