Copy 1, Volume 6

The naturalist's cabinet: containing interesting sketches of natural history. Illustrative of the natures, dispositions, manners, and habits of all the most remarkable quadrupeds, birds, fishes, amphibia, reptiles, &c. in the known world / By Thomas Smith.

  • Smith, Thomas, 1775 or 1776-1830.
Date:
1806-1807
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The naturalist's cabinet: containing interesting sketches of natural history. Illustrative of the natures, dispositions, manners, and habits of all the most remarkable quadrupeds, birds, fishes, amphibia, reptiles, &c. in the known world / By Thomas Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    — ~ ~< Caution of the female in depositing her eggs. secured the prey, it drags it into the water, instantly sinks with it to the bottom, and in this manner quickly drowns it. Sometimes it hap- pens that the creature wounded by the crocodile makes its escape, in which case the latter pur- sues with some celerity, and often takes it @ second time. He seldom moves far from rivers, except in covert and marshy places, so that in many parts of the East it is very dangerous to walk carelessly on the banks of unknown rivers, or among sedgy grounds; and still more so to bathe, without the utmost cireumspection, in un- frequented places. The crocodile seldom pur- sues his prey far on shore; and although his pace is tolerably rapid in a direct line, yet he is not sufficiently swift to overtake an active man who preserves his presence of mind. ‘This crea- ture swallows all his food whole; and also stones, it is said, to aid digestion, in the manner of the seed-eating birds. | The female is said to be extremely cautious in depositing her eggs in the sand unobserved. The general number is from eighty to a hundred. They are not larger than those of a goose,.and are covered with a tough white skin; she fills up the hole carefully before she leaves them. In each of the two succeeding days she lays as many more, which she hides in the same man- ner. The eggs are hatched generally in about thirty days by the heat of the sun, when the young immediately run into the water. ‘These