EGYPT. 49

funerals so much trouble was taken were more sacred than the rest.* The crocodile, of which Herodotus gives a description, perhaps as fairly accurate as could be expected from an ordinary observer, was accounted sacred by some of the Egyptians ; for instance, by the people about Thebes, . and those about Lake Moeris. In each of these places a tame crocodile was kept, who wore ear-rings (or rather rings in the corresponding holes) of glass or gold, and bracelets on his fore-paws. Every day he had his ration of bread and meat, and when he died he was buried in a consecrated vault. But the people of Elephantine, so far from canonising these animals, thought them tolerable eating. Herodotus gives a native receipt for catching croco- diles. Bait a hook with a chine of pork, and let it float to about the middle of the stream. Let a confed- erate hold a living pig on the bank, and belabour him lustily. The crocodile hears the pig squeak, and, mak- ing for him, encounters the pork, which he swallows. When the men on shore have drawn him to land, plug his eyes with mud ; after that, it is very easy to kill him. This latter item of the receipt has a strong affinity to an old precept about " putting salt on a bird's tail." A very similar mode of capture (with this exception) is practised by the natives now. The name " crocodiles," as the author observes, is Ionic Greek for "lizard;" the Egyptians themselves calling the animal " champsa." t He is somewhat mistaken in his

• Lane says that the modern Egyptians are remarkably kind

to animals. On one occasion a lady buried a favourite dog with all the honours due to a good Mussulman, and houseless cats are fed at the expense of the Cadi of the district. t Apparently an attempt to write the name msah, still to be A. c. vol. iii. D