PREFACE 



THE purpose of this volume is to bring 

 together, in convenient form for the use of 

 students of zoology, some of the more 

 important details of the biology, anatomy, and 

 development of the Crocodilia. For obvious 

 reasons the American Alligator is the species chiefly 

 used. 



In the first chapter the discussion of the alligator 

 is largely the result of the personal observations 

 of the author; the facts in regard to the less familiar 

 forms are taken from Ditmars and others. The 

 description of the skeleton, with the exception of 

 short quotations from Reynolds, is the author's. 



The chapter on the muscular system is a trans- 

 lation from Bronn's Thierreich, and the author has 

 not verified the descriptions of that writer. 



The description of the nervous system is partly 

 the author's and partly taken from Bronn and 

 others. 



The chapters on the digestive, urogenital, 

 respiratory, and vascular systems are practically 

 all from descriptions by the author. 



The chapter on "The Development of the 

 Alligator" is a reprint, with slight alterations, of 

 the paper of that title published for the author by 

 the Smithsonian Institution. 



in 



