Page:Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners.djvu/12

4 KEY TO EASY LATIN STOKIES. [pabt i. dogs. There are others without heads, haying eyes in the breast, and wild men. There are also two-legged mice, and small serpents (provided) with one horn (a-piece). In a word, a great number of strange animals is found in these regions.

12.Now the nature of the crocodile is as follows. During the five months of winter it takes no food. It is a quadruped, inhabiting land and water alike: for it lays and hatches its eggs on land, and lives on dry ground the greater part of the day, but by night in the river: for by night the water is wanner than the earth when sprinkled with dew. But of all animals this one, from being very small, becomes the greatest. For its eggs are not much larger than the eggs of a goose; but it reaches to the length of seventeen cubits. Now it has the eyes of a pig, but large teetL Alone of all animals it has not a tongue, nor does it move its lower jaw. Moreover, it has strong claws, and a scaly skin. In the water, indeed, it is blind; it sees well in the air. It has its mouth full of leeches within. Now other birds indeed and beasts fly from it, but it is at peace with the wagtail. The latter does it a useful service: for creeping into its mouth it devours the leeches.

13.Now crocodiles are sacred to some Egyptians; not to others also, but the latter pursue them as foes. All the inhabitants around Thebes and the lake of Moeris consider them sacred. All of these rear one crocodile in particular, well trained to be handled. In their ears they insert earrings, and adorn their fore feet with golden armlets. They feed this same one; and bury it when dead in a sacred sepuldire.   14.The Aethiopians, clad in the skins of leopards and lions, have very long bows, but short arrows; these are tipped with (lit. to these are fastened) sharp stones instead of iron. They have also spears; these are tipped with stag's horns: they