SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT OF THE SPECIES. 203 



In Cuba it is still widely distributed but, of course, gradually becoming 

 rarer. It occurs in ponds in the mangrove swamps, in estuaries and about 

 river mouths always associated with salt or brackish water. Many were ob- 

 served in the Estero de Juan Hernandez west of Palo Alto on the south coast 

 of the Province of Camaguey, in 1915, but none were seen or heard in 1917 

 about the shores of the Ensenada de Cochinos (Barbour). Here C. rhombifer 

 comes to salt water and the local beUef is without doubt true that the two 

 species are never found in the same localities. This crocodile was formerly 

 common about the mouth of the Guantanamo River and the smaller streams 

 which enter that bay, but hke so many of the larger water birds they are, since 

 the establishment of the Naval Station, very rare as they afford a too tempting 

 a target to the more or less irresponsible "sportsmen." 



68. Crocodyltjs rhombifer Cuvier. 



Plate 12, fig. 2. 



Cocodrilo. 



Diagnosis: — A crocodile having six or eight large nuchal scales, and with 

 a more or less marked obtuse ridge in front of each eye. Colour very dark ohve 

 everywhere flecked and vermiculated with yellow. These spots most abundant 

 upon the sides and limbs. 



Description: — • While this crocodile is pecuHar to Cuba and the Island of 

 Pines and now rare and restricted in its distribution the diagnosis given above 

 will serve to separate it at once from its only congener in Cuba. For this 

 reason and since it cannot be confounded with any other creature a detailed 

 description is quite uncalled for. 



Cmiously enough there has existed in the literature on these two animals 

 a persistent error regarding their lay names. Thus Humboldt began by call- 

 ing rhombifer the "Caiman." His error was repeated, so Gundlach tells us, 

 by Pichardo in the first editions of his "Diccionario de Voces Cubanas " and the 

 same mistake was later made by Cocteau in Ramon de la Sagra's History. 

 Gundlach corrected this error in his Erpetologia Cubana, in 1880, and pub- 

 Ushed as well a long and really absorbing account of his observations upon the 

 two Cuban crocodiles diiring his many years of opportunity to know them. 

 During the last few years the senior author has made three visits to the Cienaga 

 de Zapata and a few of his notes on the present status of C. rhombifer conclude 

 the remarks upon the species. 



