14 



ns ii is oppo!=:ito the phnrvnx, it may ])e n kind of crop — or reservoir, in 

 ^vhich food is temporarily deposited ^vllcn the animal does not wish to 

 swallow. It will be seen, that I have placed large masses of meat and 

 hone in this region, quite hehind the palate, where they remained until 

 withdrawn. 



Judn-ing from external appearances, the neck has five VerfebrcB or 

 articulations. The head, neck and trunk do not equal the caudal ex- 

 tremity in leno-th : the ajrjrreo-ate number of vertehraj in the former may 

 be estimated at 25 or 30 — that of the latter still higher. The first ten 

 or twelve caudal joints are nearly level for two inches in width, over 

 their superior surface, along the outer margin of which, that is on each 

 side, a serried, acute row of bony processes arise about two inches 

 high. As these recede from the trunk, they converge until they fuse 

 into one perpendicular, central, cre&ted ridge, v.hile at the same time 

 the sides of the tail become more and more compressed, until the whole 

 ends in a thin edge, having a Axrtical diameter of several inches. 



The Z/Co- seems wholly disproportioncd to the size of the body, and is 

 really very feeble, being easily held, so that the animal cannot withdraw 

 it from the grasp. The foreleg is from twelve to eighteen inches long, 

 and is not as thick as a ijoy's arm at ten years old. The hind legs are 

 a little larger. There seems to be no great credulity im^plied in the be- 

 lief of the story often repeated and pictured, even in scientific works, by 

 which a man is represented in South America as mounting on the back 

 of an alligator and using the two forelegs, which he drev»^ over the back, 

 as a bridle. But as to guiding the animal with this sort of bridle, every 

 one must think for himself. 



The Hands, feet, or paws bear some resemblance to those of man 

 and of some birds. Tbe forefeet have five fingers, of which the three 

 first or inner, have long bird like claws ; the two outer, none. The hind 

 feet have four fingers, the three fi.rst or inner of which have strong, 

 curved, tapering claws. There is a slight webbing betvreen the second 

 and third, and a full one betv.ecn the third and fourth fingers of the fore 

 feet, counting from within. The outer or little finger of the hind legs, 

 joins tlie next or ring finger, with a web for half its length or one inch. 

 Now whoever will take the trouble to consult authors, vrill find nothing 

 but confusion and contradiction on this simple matter — even by those 

 who base their classifications on the feet. 



In the London Encyclopaedia of 1845, there is an incorrect engraving 

 of the Alligator, representing all the toes completely webbed. In the new 

 Parisian editions of the works on Natural History, by Lacepede, and 

 by Prof. Edwards, not a vestige of v/ebbing is seen among the toes at 

 all ! The Encyclopaedia Americana says, all the fingers or toes have 

 dates! *'Their feet," says Cuvier, "are only semipalmate," None of 

 these accounts are correct. — The Slcin has numerous, longitudinal, trans- 

 verse seams, dividing the integument into square figures. Notwith- 

 standing these seams or fissures, which render the skin uneven, it is 

 rather smooth, polished and not very hard, except where the bony plates 

 are found, that is upon the upper part of the trunk. 



Omitting the microscopic history of the Cuticle for the present, I 

 come to the osseous, integimientary Plates — a most prominent feature, 

 and one that has been resorted to for criteria, in giving the distinctive 



