127 



more vaulted. The teetli retained in the specimen have tlieir crowns only 

 partially protruded. Tiiey are proportionately more robust, or shorter and 

 less pointed, than in the mugger. Strong ridges define the inner from the 

 outer surfaces of the crown, which exhibits no indication of fluting, but the 

 enamel is finely and closely wrinkled longitudinally. 



The space occupied by the teeth, from the fourth to the seventh inclusive, 

 is 35 lines. The entire length of the fifth or largest maxillary tooth is esti- 

 mated at about 2^ inches. The protruded portion measures externally ^ of 

 an inch in length, and its diameter at base fore and aft is 7J lines, and trans- 

 versely GJ lines. 



Fig. 6, Plate VIII, represents a large portion of the upper part of a skull, 

 which has been attributed, but with no certainty, to the same species as the 

 foregoing. The specimen, in a number of scattered fragments without teeth, 

 was discovered, by Henry W. Elliott, on Little Sandy River, during Pro- 

 fessor Hayden's exploraticni of 1870. 



The fossil indicates a form of skull very difierent from that of our alligator, 

 and is that of a true crocodile. It approached in form more tiiat of the mugger of 

 India or of the Nile crocodile than that of the American crocodile, (C ameri- 

 canus.) 



The cranium above is remarkably flat ; from its lateral borders defined by 

 the squamosals and post-frontals, and from the occipital border to the face in 

 advance of the orbits, it forms a nearly uniform plane with no depression of 

 the forehead nor eversion of the orbital margins. This uniform flatness is 

 also extended along the middle of the face to the muzzle. This and the 

 alveolar borders of the face are about as convex as in the mugger. 



The sides of the muzzle are deeply notched at the conjunction of the pre- 

 maxillaries and maxillaries, and the bottom of the notch exhibits a conspicu- 

 ous recess for the accommodation of the large canine-like tooth of the man- 

 dible. A second and less conspicuous notch, as usual in the true crocodiles, 

 occupies a position about the middle of the maxillaries. 



The lateral boi'ders of the cranium are less angular or more rounded 

 approaching the orbits than in the mugger and the American crocodile. 

 The superior temporal orifices are subrotund and nearly as wide transversely 

 as fore and aft. The intervening parietal surface is broad and deeply 

 l)itted. The temporal surfaces of the parietal form a pair of deeply concave 

 recesses. 



