The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-03
THE CROCODILE OF HISTORY.
His Live Toothpfok, His Tears and His Way
Of Getting Caught In the Nile.


PROM ne London Globe
To say that the crocodile has soen his best
days is but feebly TO express the rapidly with
which he Ia lapsing into the class OF extinct AMI
mails As feature OF modern Egyp, he Is per-
haps rather a curiosity than a plague; and tho
traveller has 70 get far beyond the regions Of tho
Delta before he can begin 70 hope for tho chance
Of being introduced 70 one Crocodile stories
are longer tod in fact IL Ii safer 70 trust 70 the
sea serpent Nothing make the crocodile
attractive. and even the man with the camera
Is shy Of treating him as . subtcct-whetheI for
personal artistic reasons Is not quite clear
Possibly. the crocodile rescnts being focused az
mirror-an ordeal which often led 70 his dying
OF cbagnn, AZ was supposed, al the sight o. nus
srapher is wise in taking no rsks," remembering
that the ,crocodie's tears are only a natural sol
vent which the saurinn applies to the tougher
And this Is where the legend OF the too,hpick
properly comes in. Herodo!us noticed the fact
He discovered that the crocodile made friends
with particular bird. which he allowed 10 enter
rid the reptile Of the ieeches which Infested his
jaws, Pliny says nothing OF these pests, but
considers the complaisance Of the crocodile 70
be due 10 the satisfaction he felt In having his
teeth picked by the bird: He taketh so great
delight in this her sc,aping and securing, Of his
as a wren: later naturasts described II as AZ be.
ing large thrush, while IL has been reserved
ibis 'n useful irend Of the crocodile as the spur
winged ployer. OF the fact Of the alliance there
is not Tho least doubt The operation has been
observers one OF the latest OF whom considers
that the bird docs actually perform the functions
enjoys With such corroboration the narration
OF HerOdotus, subject to qualification. as IL must
a. Least ho 70 II dss Of nmd No
In the Egyptian hieroglyphics tho crocodile
is represented BY single wayy line, 50 .Porfectly
quite impossible 70 escape from its meaning
y might stand as an sIGollent contemporary
Of nature This WAS reserved for later times,
o'o which %e are Sr esdy 70 ms sna
10 the lack Of practical knowledge by the classic
writer's When Fuller solS SSsSrat I'd, 50 ernody
correcting the erroneous idea Of earlier period.
and The following example Of his erudition may
the anipaihy OF the crocodile thereto; for tho
ssess he BE-
| the name Of saffron .feareI, knowing himself
s al ,ss sps i az .ss can aAy to
reptils's observed .habi,s Probably, because
women and children were especially liable TO them
the once Of the former as wa,er Carriers bringing
fndinS a playground Ia S i on It's shores "''"
n a.. an EEypn Of the The
angle used 10 fish for crocodile. from which il
would seem that they had taken leaf out Of the
he hook with q largo piece Of hogs assh. with
| which they made real anglers cast into the
special and allurn9 form OF ground bait consisting
| OF a vigorous young porker, whom they anchored,
| Irish fashion, on the bank, and melted by divers
| irritating arts into energetic squealing En-
| tranced with the melodious sound. the crocodile
| was dawn In the direction from which II came,
the baitsd hook instead