Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 15 



SAURIA. ' 



FAM. CROCODILIDJE, Bonaparte (ASPIDIOTES, Bum. andBibr.) 



S I). Gen Crocodihts, apud Cuvier. 



Muzzle oblong, depressed; teeth unequal, the 4t!i of the lower jaw 

 fitting into lateral notches, and not into hollows of the upper jaw. 

 Skull behind the eyes with two large holes, perceptible through the 

 integuments. Hind-feet with an external dentated crest, and the toes 

 pal mated. 



Crocodilus vulgaris, Cuvier. — Yar. B., Dum. and Bibr. 



Syn. — Crocodilus palustris, Lesson. 



Crocodilus vulgaris, Var. E. Gray. 



Crocodilus biporcatus raninus, Midler, Tab. 3, Fig. 7- 



Crocodilus palustris, apud Gray : Catal. 



" Buaya" of tbe Malays. 



Muzzle a little widened, thick, transversally very slightly curved ; 

 head covered with angular rugosities ; lateral margins of the skull not 

 raised. Above greenish-olive, speckled with black ; beneath yellowish 

 or greenish- white. 



Habit. — Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 



Java, Sumatra, Tenasserim, Bengal, Coromandel, Malabar. 



It inhabits not only rivers and estuaries, but also the sea-coasts, and 

 may in calm weather be seen floating at a distance of two to three miles 

 from the shore. Although numerous at Piuang and the opposite coast, 

 it appears to be less so than Crocodihts biporcatus. Fishermen while 

 working the nets are not seldom attacked by Crocodiles, and would, but 

 for their presence of mind, oftener than they do, forfeit their lives. When 

 seized, they force the fingers into the eyes of the Crocodile, which imme- 

 diately lets go its victim, who is farther rescued by his comrades. — From 

 1842 to 1845 amputations from accidents of this description, were unfor- 

 tunately of no rare occurrence in the General Hospital at Pinang. 



Individuals, 15 feet in length are not uncommon ; some attaining to 

 20 feet and upwards are reported to occur. — In rivers a single one will 

 often appropriate to himself a limited district, which if it happens to be 

 in the vicinity of a village, will soon be perceived in the loss of the graz- 

 ing cattle. Instances of Malays, who, to avenge the loss of a relative, have 

 watched the crocodile, and by diving from below, plunged a Kris into its 



