G. NATURAL HISTORY AND ZOOLOGY. 309 



New Smyrna, Florida. Mr. Maynard, however, adds that 

 during a previous expedition to the west coast of Florida he 

 found quite a large number inhabiting the mouths of rivers 

 that empty into the Gulf of Mexico. 



THE CROCODILE AS A POACHER. 



Dr. Day, in his work upon the fisheries of India, mentions 

 the crocodile as one of the principal agencies in the destruc- 

 tion of the fish of that country, which is so great, indeed, in 

 some localities as almost to depopulate the waters. These 

 animals are frequently found in the irrigation canals, where 

 they establish themselves below the locks in the pools stocked 

 with fish, and the number devoured by one crocodile in a sin- 

 gle day is almost incredible. 2 A, December 6, 1873, 457. 



FOSSIL CERATODUS IN QUEENSLAND. 



A paleontological fact of extreme interest is the discov- 

 ery, by Mr. Gerard KrefFt, of a tooth of an extinct species of 

 Ceratodus found in the alluvial deposits of the Darling Downs 

 district of Queensland. This he has named C.jxdmeri. The 

 tooth is larger than the corresponding one of C.forsteri (the 

 living species), the enamel being rather coarser, and the sur- 

 face more undulated. 12 A, February 12, 1874, 293. 



POISON OP THE WATER LIZARD. 



In a communication recently made to the Linnsean Society 

 of London, by Miss Ormerod, upon the cutaneous exudation 

 of the Triton cristatvs, an European water lizard, interesting 

 experiments are detailed, which probably equally well illus- 

 trate the peculiarities of the many corresponding species 

 found in the United States. Miss Ormerod remarks that, in 

 their natural state, these Tritons are scentless, but on being 

 alarmed or irritated they emit an odor strongly resembling 

 that of bruised poppy-heads, which is quite perceptible, and 

 remains for a considerable time on the hands after touching 

 them. When the animal has escaped from the water and 

 become partly dry, this odor is extremely pungent. 



On one occasion, a number of these animals, immediately 

 after being taken from the water, were placed under the in- 

 fluence of chloroform vapor, when a viscid slime immediately 

 exuded from the surface. On tasting a very small quantity 



