156 POPULAR SCRIPTURE ZOOLOGY.

The crocodile (Crocodilus vulgaris) is about twenty feet
long, sometimes even thirty, and covered with most elaborate
armour ;: the colour is blackish-brown above, and yellowish-
white underneath; the mouth is of vast size, and armed
with numerous sharp teeth; the tail is long and powerful ;
the legs very short, but strong and muscular; the hind feet
have only four toes, which are united by a strong web: the
crocodile is oviparous, the eggs being about the size of
those of the goose, and are deposited in the sand or mud
on the banks of rivers. The crocodile preys on fish; it is
now only found in the upper parts of Egypt, where the
heat is the greatest ; and in the rivers Senegal, Jaire, etc.,
it is still common. The Alligator of America, and the
Gavial of the Indian rivers, are of the same family and
habits, though differing in many particulars.

These formidable creatures belong to the Class Reptilia,
Order Sawria, and have been necessarily mentioned out of
their proper place in the classification.