( 37 ) 



Guntlmr's monograph was said to have come from Pondicheny, 

 but I have the verbal authority of my lamented friend Dr. 

 Stoliczka for the occurrence of the species at Akyab. 



Gharialis, Geoffroy. 



Snout very long and slender. Teeth slender, sharp. Food 

 fish, also carrion, though they are not known to seize animals 

 as crocodiles do. 



G. Gangeticus, Gmel. 



Dorsal shields is six rows in the middle of the back. Adult 

 males have a large hollow hump at the end of the snout in which 

 the nostrils are placed. The largest skull I have seen was 

 close on 30 inches. Giinther says it grows to 20 feet and 

 animals rarely exceed this limit. 



Inhabits Bengal and the North-Western Provinces, Ganges, 

 and the Koladain river in Akyab but does not occur in Pegu. 



Giinther's idea that the hollow hump on the nose of the male 

 is a provision to enable that sex to remain under water longer 

 than the other, is open to considerable doubt. It would seem 

 rather one of those sexual characters, the precise utility of which 

 to the individual is obscure, as the horn on some male beetles. 



Section B. Sauria. (Land lizards.) 



Vent transverse. Penis bifurcate lodged in the thick part of 

 the base of the tail, imperforate, erectile by eversion, and en- 

 circled by frills of horny scales, which vary in the different species 

 and serve the purpose of preventing the retraction of the organs 

 during congress, the vaginal chambers of the female, being 

 correspondingly situated. Jaws toothed, the rami of the mandi- 

 ble being united by an osseous suture. Generally oviparous, 

 though a few species produce living young. Food animal, a few 

 only being herbivorous. No poisonous species are known. 



Family Varanid^. 



Head covered with scale-like non-imbricate shields. Teeth 

 acute, compressed. Tongue elongate, slender, double, teminating 



