NOTES ON THE WATERS OF WESTERN INDIA. 117 



of his neck ; and he has not, or only two little ones. Its dorsal shields 

 are usually six in a row on one part of the back and eight in the rest 

 (the extra two rudimentary), and there are 17 rows in all, to the root 

 of the tail. 



I need hardly say that alligators are not found here, nor any- 

 where else in Asia, except China, where there is one rare species. 

 The outward and visible sign of a crocodile proper, as distinguished 

 from an alligator, is the fourth tooth of the lower jaw on each 

 side, which grins alike at all seasons, whether the mouth be shut or 

 open, improving a naturally ugly countenance with a hideous fixed 

 snarl. In the alligators, this tooth is received into a sort of sheath 

 or pit in the upper jaw. Some alligators, moreover, have shields 

 on the belly as well as on the back. I have wasted a great deal of 

 time on catching crocodiles, and never caught one, though others 

 have had better luck. Shooting them with the rifle is really good 

 sport. This should be done in the heat of the day, when they lie 

 on banks in the sun. In the morning they are wideawake, and before 

 sunset they begin to forage. They have to be carefully stalked and 

 clean killed, otherwise they get away into some hole, or (I think) 

 bury themselves in the mud, as they are well known to do sometimes, 

 in lakes that dry up for a season, to await the return of the water. 

 Many a hit crocodile goes off leaving a trail of blood on the water, 

 and is never seen again. But if they remain in one spot even for 

 a few seconds after receiving the bullet, that is a sign that they 

 are very hard hit ; and in such a case the carcase will generally float 

 within from 30 to 40 hours. I have not had a harpoon that could 

 penetrate the back scales ; a good hog-spear, however, does so easily. 



The story of their being ball-proof arises chiefly, I think, from 

 the natural unwillingness of man to admit that he has missed. A 

 very ordinary gun will put a bullet through and through any part 

 of them, unless, perhaps, the bullet strike at a very great angle 

 and glance off. 1 believe that this once happened to a bullet fired by 

 myself from a very light fowling piece. A shot in the small of the 

 back head, heart or spine will stop them easily enough. Behind the 

 shoulder is the best shot from the side ; but if you shoot from above, 

 as from a high bank or a ship, aim at the root of the neck. Not 

 only is it a good place, but the places above and below are good too, 

 and the usual error of a rifle shot is high or low. 



A crocodile, lying on a bank, covers his heart ( to a great extent) 

 with his left elbow, and a light express bullet will break upon the 



