On the Crocodiles of the Ganges. di9 



just ; but the supposition that he thinks may he dra^wn from it " que ce- 

 lui ci n'est pas grimpeur," is contradicted by the habits of the Park indi- 

 vidual, who is a distinguished climber. His remark that " son museau 

 superieur est noir a tout age" is also at variance with the fact in respect 

 to two specimens in the Park, in both of which the upper part of the muz- 

 zle is of a rusty-gray colour. With regard to the pectoral mark this na- 

 turalist observes, that it has " la forme d'une fourche dont les deux bran- 

 ches, tres ecartees, occupent toute la poitrine, et dont la queue se prolonge 

 jusqu' au milieu du ventre." This is not an invariable character. It was 

 present in an individual which was lately removed from the park, but in 

 two specimens now there, one above three years old, the other not quite 

 one, it is a curved, rather narrow stripe, which passes across the chest be- 

 tween the fore legs ; but has no prolongation down the belly of the animal. 

 *' Of the disposition of this animal we know scarcely any thing, but 

 have no reason to believe that it is more fierce than its congeners. All the 

 different species in the park have been rendered tame. If there be any 

 difference between them, it is rather in favour of the Ursus Thibetanus ; for 

 of two young specimens of the Ursus labiaius, and of the Ursus Thibetanus, 

 the former is more pugnacious than the latter." 



2. On the Crocodiles of the Ganges. By C. Abel, M. D., F. R. S. 



On Tuesday, March 23d, 1824, I received at Barrackpore, through the 

 kindness of my friend, Dr Wallich, a large crocodile, measuring eighteen 

 feet from the extremity of the nose to the end of the tail, which had been 

 brought to hira at the botanic garden by some fishermen, who had taken 

 it in the river. It had been dead several days when it reached me, and 

 had apparently been destroyed by a spear driven into its neck at the 

 junction of its head with the cervical vertebrae, so as to separate the brain 

 from the spinal marrow. This animal proved to be the Cummeer of the 

 natives. In consequence of its very putrid state, I was unable to examine 

 its internal structure, but made such observations on its external charac- 

 ters, as enabled me to compare it with its described congeners. 



M. Cuvier divides the genus Crocodilus into three subgenera, which he 

 names — 1st Les Gavials: — 2d Les Crocodiles proprement dits: — 3d Les 

 Caimans (Alligator.) Of these the gavial, or gurryal, of the natives, — 

 the Lacerta Gangetica of Gmelin, has been long known as the inhabitant 

 of the rivers of India, and is distinguished by its elongated head. Of the 

 true crocodiles the Crocodilus biporcatus, is said by Cuvier to be the inha- 

 bitant of the islands and probably of the two peninsulas of India. The 

 caiman, or alligator, has not, according to Cuvier, been found except in 

 America. The Crocodilus biporcatus is described by Cuvier as having 

 '' eight ranges of oval plates along the back, and two prominent projections 

 on the top of its muzzle." In the cummeer brought to Barrackpore, the ar- 

 rangement of the principal plates were in four rows, or rather two double 

 rows, occupying the middle of the back, with two other less prominent 

 than these, one on each side ; two more traces of rows were also visible, 

 but only traceable, in small scattered prominences. Of the projections on 

 the top of the nose or muzzle (deux aretes saillantes sur Ic haut du museau) 



