Year: 1865

her store, at the same time carefully widen
ing the excavation, turning the eggs, and
reicovering them with sand. Unless dis.
turbed, she will lie near or over them, and
leave them but for short time to feed in
their close vicinity; and she will even then
watch them zealously by raising her head
to tina surface of tee water, and occasionally
rnn towards them at short intervals, to sat
isfy herself that all is right, and retnrn to
her feeding ground The quantity ofeggs
depend upon the age and size Of the animal
and 'ary from forty to sixty


At the commencement of the hatchiug
Geason the nest is widened to accommodate
the egge, being arranged close to each
other, and equi-distant from the surface. A
slight covering is now placed over them so
that incubation by means Of the snn's heat,
may take place. During this stage the at
tention Of the animal towards her eggs is
redoubled in watching and turning them,
and it is dangerous for single person to
approach the spot as she will fesrlessl7 at.
tack and give chase at considerable speed
After such circumstance, or if on her re
turn from feeding she would discover traces
ocman or beast in the vicinity of her charge
the wary crocodile will decamp with her
eggs in her mouth, and seek for another 10.
cality.


From various sources I am informed thai
the Matching tine takes ninety days, there.
fore it is during the first increase of the
Nile that exclusion takes place. The mother
then carrying off her young in her mouth,
will take them in the shallow water or some
retired creek, or in crevlce in the bank
where she will nourish them until able tc
accompany her AMI prey upon small fry fol
themselves. -


1t is Well known that these reptiles, al
though they seize their prep under water
cannot, under the same circumstances
swallow IL, and must proceed to shore for
that purpose, where, resting on their fore
legs ard the head out of water ttey are en-
abed to feed. L Irge animals or an, wher
caught, are retained under water until pu
trefaction commences before they are de-
voured,


Men who IN Egypt devote much Of theil
time to the destruction oe these animals
like onr friend SalCh Abt il Samad, throw
up low emberkments, twenty or thirty yards
from the river side, in localities where they
delight to bask in the sun. A few days suf
nee to accustom the wary reptiles 10 the
new objects, and, lying close in ambush be
hind one or the other, the skilled hunter
seldom passes day without shot Swim.
ming lazily towards trs shore, with the liz
of the nose and eyes only above the water, 6
careful survey is taken before the crccodil,
ventures to expose itself on the land then
sometimes lingering on the water edge, a
others taking short ron, the reptile viii
cast a hhrried and uneasy glance around
and seeing nothing to fear will lie down
but will for some time retain its head eleva
ted on the watch.


Gradually overcome with sleep, by the in
hucnce OF the sun, the head at length drops
unlll prostra'e upon the sand'-Saleb, VIII,
has been narrow y watching the above pro
ceedings from behind his bu'wark, AM
whose nerves have been as irritable as thos
of his unconscious frey were tlanquil, fires
and iSfortunate enough to plant his ball il
the brain, the crocodile; after twitch o
two with his tail, remains on the spot; but il
although hit hard, that organ has remaineC
intact, the crocodile attempts to escape
pursued by our hero, who seizes the tail
and lifting its extremity as high as possible
from the ground, thus rendering the anima
powerless. so succeeds in arrestng its prog
rass fora second, until companion shall
have battered in its skull with an axe
This, Saleh admits, is dangerous work
but practice makes perfect the wound
ed animal is conscious of his approach tn
tail is instantly curved to receive him. Pla
cling himself within the are described by i,
he escapes injury; but if on the wrong side
blow from it might be fatal.