Story of the Bible Animals: A Description of the Habits and Uses of every living Creature mentioned in the Scriptures, with Explanation of Passages in the Old and New Testament in which Reference is made to themWood, J. G. (John George)
Religion
Story of the Bible Animals: A Description of the Habits and Uses of every living Creature mentioned in the Scriptures, with Explanation of Passages in the Old and New Testament in which Reference is made to them
Wood, J. G. (John George)
Animals in the Bible; Nature in the Bible
"There are many other modes of capturing the Crocodile, one of which
is the snare portrayed in the illustration.
[Illustration: A CROCODILE TRAP]
"Two elastic saplings are bent down and kept in position by stout
cords, one of which, bears a baited hook, while the other is
fashioned into a noose. These cords are so arranged as to release
the bent saplings as soon as the Crocodile pulls upon the baited
hook. If all works properly, the animal suddenly finds himself
suspended in the air, where he remains helpless and at the mercy of
the hunter, who soon arrives and despatches him.
"The extreme tenacity of life possessed by the Crocodile is well
exemplified by an incident which occurred in Ceylon. A fine specimen
had been caught, and to all appearance killed, its interior parts
removed, and the aperture kept open by a stick placed across it.
A few hours afterwards the captors returned to their victim with
the intention of cutting off the head, but were surprised to find
the spot vacant. On examining the locality it was evident that the
creature had retained sufficient life to crawl back into the water.
From this it may be imagined that it is no easy matter to drive the
breath out of a Crocodile. Its life seems to take a separate hold
of every fibre in the creature's body, and though pierced through
and through with bullets, crushed by heavy blows, and its body
converted into a very pincushion for spears, it writhes and twists
and struggles with wondrous strength, snapping savagely with its
huge jaws, and lashing its muscular tail from side to side with such
vigour that it requires a bold man to venture within range of that
terrible weapon."
Sometimes combats occur between this creature and the tiger, one of
the fiercest and most terrible of all quadrupeds. Tigers frequently
go down to the rivers to drink, and, upon these occasions, the
Crocodile, if near, may attempt to seize them. The ferocious beast,
however, seldom falls unrevenged; for the instant he finds himself
seized, he turns with great agility and fierceness on his enemy, and
endeavours to strike his claws into the Crocodile's eyes, while the
latter drags him into the water, where they continue to struggle
until the tiger be drowned, and his triumphant antagonist feasts
upon his carcass. Such a combat is depicted in the illustration
which appears on an accompanying page.
[Illustration: A FIGHT FOR LIFE.]
[Illustration: THE CYPRIUS, OR LIZARD OF SCRIPTURE.]
THE LETÂÂH OR LIZARD.
Difficulty of identifying the Letââh--Probability that
it is a collective and not a specific term--Various
Lizards of Palestine--The Green or Jersey Lizard--The
Cyprius, its appearance and habits--The Glass Snake or
Scheltopusic--Translation of the word _chomet_--Probability that
it signifies the Skink--Medicinal uses of the Lizard--The Seps
tribe--The common Cicigna, and the popular belief concerning its
habits--The Sphænops and its shallow tunnel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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