154 POPULAR SCRIPTURE ZOOLOGY.

18th verse it says, “ His eyes are like the eyelids of the
morning,” whereas the eyes of the whale are very small. It
is remarkable that the ancient Egyptians used the eye of the
crocodile as a hieroglyphic, to denote the rising of the sun,
because they first become visible when it rises out of the water.
“ His teeth are terrible round about;”’ the whale, on the con-
trary, has no proper teeth, only the horny substance which
we call whalebone. “ Canst thou put an hook into his nose?”
and “Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seeth-
ing pot, or cauldron :” whales possess neither proper snout
nor nostrils, as they breathe through a spiracle, or blowing-
hole.

The whole of this powerful description, allowing for the
somewhat extravagant Bastern imagery, is very applicable to
the crocodile, which abounds in the Nile and other African
and Asiatic rivers. It is possessed of immense voracity and
strength, as well as fleetness in swimming, and attacks man-
kind with great impetuosity ; has an enormous mouth, with
very large and formidable teeth; and is furnished with a
coat of mail so scaly and hard, as to resist the force of a
musket-ball. ‘ His scales are his pride, shut up together as
with a close seal. The sword of him that layeth at him can-
not hold, the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. He es-