1910.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 467 



of Wuhu and Chingkiang, though records exist for Poyang Lake and 

 Nangking. Thus it will be seen that the distribution is peculiarly 

 circumscribed. Gadon states that alligator remains have been found 

 in European fluviatile deposits of the Upper Chalk age. In fact, 

 they did not completely disappear from Europe until as late as the 

 Pliocene. The Chinese alligator is a survivor in a limited area, as is 

 our alligator, of some form which once had a holarctic distribution. 



The present specimen agrees very closely with Fauvel's original 

 description, and has the regular three pairs of nuchal plates. It is 

 just forty-eight inches long, of which the head takes up one-sixth. 

 Fauvel's adult specimen was five feet eight inches in length. Thus 

 it will be seen that this might almost be spoken of as a dwarf species. 



Since the above was written I have heard that Dr. Wolterstorff of 

 Magdeburg, has a specimen (no data given) 145 cm. in length. 



