Furthermore, they all have the ordinary organs of sensation, including
a tongue, with the exception of the Egyptian crocodile.
This latter animal, by the way, resembles certain fishes. For, as
a general rule, fishes have a prickly tongue, not free in its
movements; though there are some fishes that present a smooth
undifferentiated surface where the tongue should be, until you open
their mouths wide and make a close inspection.
Again, oviparous blooded quadrupeds are unprovided with ears, but
possess only the passage for hearing; neither have they breasts, nor a
copulatory organ, nor external testicles, but internal ones only;
neither are they hair coated, but are in all cases covered with
scaly plates. Moreover, they are without exception saw-toothed.
River crocodiles have pigs' eyes, large teeth and tusks, and
strong nails, and an impenetrable skin composed of scaly plates.
They see but poorly under water, but above the surface of it with
remarkable acuteness. As a rule, they pass the day-time on land and
the nighttime in the water; for the temperature of the water is at
night-time more genial than that of the open air.
11
The chameleon resembles the lizard in the general configuration of
its body, but the ribs stretch downwards and meet together under the
belly as is the case with fishes, and the spine sticks up as with
the fish.
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