A greene forest, or A naturall historie vvherein may bee seene first the most sufferaigne vertues in all the whole kinde of stones & mettals: next of plants, as of herbes, trees, [and] shrubs, lastly of brute beastes, foules, fishes, creeping wormes [and] serpents, and that alphabetically: so that a table shall not neede. Compiled by Iohn Maplet, M. of Arte, and student in Cambridge: entending hereby yt God might especially be glorified: and the people furdered. Anno 1567.

Of the Crocodile.

THe Crocodile is called yelow Snake for that he is in colour most Saffron like. Isi∣dore in his .xij. booke. He is one of those kinds which alwayes keepe not in one and the same place, or which are not pleased long with Ele∣ments alike. One while he is cōuersant vpon the earth, another while in the waters. He is of such hard skin, that being stroke in the back or bodie with violent stroke of stone or Iron s••ing, estéemeth it not a Rush. In the night time he harboureth in the waters, in the day time he liueth vpon the earth. Aristotle sayth, that the Crocodile alone amongst all other

Creatures liuing moueth the vpper lip, and keepeth the neather lip vnmoueable, contrarie to all other herein. It is a most glotonous ser∣pent, and a verie rauener, who when he is far∣ced full, lyeth all long by the Banckes side belching and panting as though he woulde burst. Wherevpon saith Tullie, when he is in this case, and so farre gone, a certaine little small birde called of vs the Wren or Kinges birde, of the Gréekes Trochylos, flieth towarde him, and often assayeth or he can come by his purpose, to go into his throte or intrailes: but is repelled so long as he is awake: but falling once on sléepe and opening his iawes as he v∣seth being on sleepe, the Wren goeth into his throte, and being within there a certaine time by flickring and mouing, causeth his throte to itche, wherewith he being delighted, at the last falleth on sound sléepe. The Bird percey∣uing this, goeth further to his heart, and pec∣keth at it with hir bill, and at the last gnaweth it out, and so féedeth hir selfe full and escapeth away. The like thing is read of Enidros the Serpent, which creepeth in the grasse of Nilus who being eaten downe quicke of the Croco∣dile, gnaweth his heart out in sunder within, and so killeth him.