Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-05-16
TIE NILE CROCODILE.
- Live ToOthpick. His Tears ana
iiis Way of Getting Caught


- say At the crocodile has seen
hiS best day' is but feebly to express
TIA" raD.d..5 with which he Is lapsing
into the class of extinct animals AS
feature OF r-0dcin Egypt lie is perhaps
rather curiosity than n plague and
t.-e traN ciCr las to get far beyond the
r"g.Ous of tav delta before he can be-
gin To hope for the chance OF being In
uoiuced 10 one. Crocodile stories are
no longer tcid. In fact. IL is safer To
trust tO tie s,l serpent Nothing can
max" the crocodile attractive. and even
the Ian with the camera is shy OF
treating hinl as a sub whether for
personal or artistic reasons is tot quite
clear. Possibly the crocodile resents
being focused. AZ he formerly shrank
from CONFORMATION with a mirror. an
ordeal which often led to his dying OF
chagrin. as WAS supposed at the sight
of his own ugliness. Moreover. the
experienced photographer is wise in
taking no risks" renem bcring that
the crocodilc's tears are only a natural
solvent which the saurian applies to
the tougher form Of animal food.
And this is where the legend OF the
tOothpick properly comes in. Herodo-
tuS noticed the fact but seems 20 have
been uiiS!cd as 10 the motive He dis
covered that the crocodile made friends
Wi'h q particular bird which he al
lowe 81 10 enter his mouth in order as
tHr writer supposed. 10 rid the reDtile
oi thc iecchcS which Infested his laws.
Ilny says nothing OF these pests. but
considers the complaisance OF the
crocodile TO be due to the satisfaction
J." felt in having his teeth picked by
the bird. lie takcth so great delight
i'm THIS her Scraping and securing Of
htS tortA ana Jaws" Both authors
sps"E OF thc Hird as wren: later nat
v-ais;S described it as being as large
ass THRUSH. while il has been reserved
iuT the ;.-ts,cn' generation OF travellers
Co Identify ibis useful friend nf the
crocodile aS the spur winged plover.
OF the fact of the alliance there is not
tho least doubt. The operation has
been Frequently witnessed by numer-
Gus independent observers. one of the
latest Of whom considers that the bird
does actually perform the functions OF
toothplck. n process which the croc-
odllc enjoys" With such corrobora-
tca the narration Of Herodoius. sub
Jcci to qualification. rs il must be. is at
least 20 be taken seriously and no Ion
ger regarded as the visionary idea of a
mere fahulist.
Ia the Egyptian hieroglyphics the
crocodile il represented by a single
Wavy line. SO perfectly suggestive OF
the contour OF the animal that IL Is
quite Impossible to escape from its
meaning. II might stand as an excel
lcnt contemporary Illustration OF the
text Of Hcrodotus. neither author nor
artist overstepping the mOdesty OF ma
ture. This was reserved for later
times. in which arose SO many OF the
myths and eXtravagances which we
are ready 10 impute 10 the lack OF prac-
teal knowledge by the classic writer's.
When Fuller lucubrated so learnedly
OF the crocodile. he doubtless felt that
he was correcting the erroneous idea
of an earlier period. and the following
example Of his crudition may serve to
show how he set about the task: The
sovereign power OF saffron is plainly
proved by the antipathy OF the croco-
ollie thereto. for the crocodile's tears
are never true. save when he Is forced
where saffron grOweth. whence he hath
tie name Of saffron fearer. knowing
himself To be all poison and II all anti
dore. As tO legend Of the crocodile's
tears. il can only be regarded as a
myth grated upon some Of the rep
tiles observed habits. Probably be-
cause they could offer less resistance
L. his attacks. women and children
were especially liable To them, the Of
ice Of the former as water carriers
bringing them often TO the Nile and
Tie children naturally finding n play
glOund on its shores.
Herodotus gives an amusing account
or the manner IN which the Egyptian
brothers Of the angle used TO fish for
crocodile. from which II would seem
that they had taken n leaf out OF the
reptiles own book OF strategy. They
haited the hook with a large piece OF
hogs flesh, with which they made a
real anglers east" into the middle OF
the river. And they employed a very
special and alluring form OF ground
bait, consisting OF vigorous young
porkcr. which they anchored. Irish
fashion. on the bank and melted by
divers irritating arts into energetic
sQuealing. Entranced with the melO-
diOus sound. the crocodile was drawn
in the direction from which IL came,
and. being unable TO get at the pig,
put up with the baited hook instead
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