CEOCOUILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 173 



CROCODILUS AMERICANUS Laurenti. 



Crocodilus americanus Lauuenti, Syn. Kept.. 1768, ]i. 54. — Schneider, Hist. 

 Amph., II, 1801, p. 23. — GEOFimoY, Ann. Mus., II, 1803, pi. xxxvii, fig. 1. — 

 Gkay, Cat. Tort., 1844, p. 60.~Huxley, Journ. Liun. Soc, IV, 1860, p. 11.— 

 BOCOURT, Miss. Sc. Mex. Ropt., 1870, p. 30, pis. viii, tig. 1; ix, fig. 1. — 

 GiJNTHER, Biol. C. Amer. Rept., 1885, p. 19. 



Crocodilus acutiis CtrviEU, Ann. Mus., X, 1807, p. 55, pis. i, ii. — Geoffkoy, Ann. 

 Mus., X, 1807, p. 70. — TiEDKMANN, Oppel, and Liisoschitz, Nat. Amph., 1817, 

 p. 78, pi. XIII. — Dumeril and Bibron, Erp. Gon., Ill, 1836, p. 119. — Cocteau 

 in R. de la Sagra, Hist. Cuba Ivept., 1843, p. 62, pi. v.— Strauch, Syn. 

 Crocod., 1866, pp. 56, 102.— Wyman, Amer. Journ., XLIX, 1870, p. 105, 



Crocodilus Mscntatus CuviER, Ann. Mus., X, 1807, p. 53, pi. Ii, fig. 6.-»-Tiei)E- 

 mann, Oppkl, iinil Liboschitz, Nat. Amph., 1817, p. 77, pi. xii. 



Molina americana Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (3), X, 1862, p. 272; Trans. Zool. 

 Soc, VI, 1867, p. 150; Cat. Sh. Rept., II, 1872, p. 17. 



Crocodilus pacificus BocouRT, Miss. Sc. Mex. Rept., 1870, p. 31, pi. ix, fig. 5. 



C. lewyanus Bocourt, Miss. Sc. Mex. Rept., i). 33, pi. viii, fig. 2. 



C. mexicanus Bocourt, Miss. Sc. Mex. Rept., p. 34, pi. viii, fig. 3. 



C. Jloridanus Hornaday, Amer. Nat., IX, 1875, i>. 504, figs. 211-213. 



Eighteen or nineteen upper teeth on each side. Snout variable in 

 length, one ahd three-fifths to two and one-fourth as long as broad 

 at the base; a median ridge or longitudinal swelling along the snout; 

 niandibidar symphysis extending to the fourtli or fifth tooth; premax- 

 illo-maxillary suture, on the palate, directed backwards; maxillaries 

 forming a short median suture above or narrowly separated by the 

 nasals. Usually four large nuchals forming a square, wath a smaller 

 one on each side of the anterior j)air; the large nuchals sometimes fol- 

 lowed by one or two detached pairs of smaller scutes ; usually two pairs 

 of smaller nuchals in a transverse row behind the occiput. Dorsal scutes 

 well separated from the nuchals, in fifteen or sixteen transverse and 

 four or six longitudinal rows; the scutes of the two median rows regu- 

 larly arranged, the others more or less irregular and more strongly 

 keeled; sides with scattered keeled scutes. A slight web between the 

 second and third fingers; outer toes extensively webbed. A serrated 

 fringe on the outer edge of the leg; scales on the limbs keeled. Black- 

 ish olive above, yellowish inferiorly; young pale olive, dotted and 

 spotted with black. (Boulenger.) 



The largest specimen in the collection measures 3i meters. 



Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Central America, Southern Mexico, 

 West Indies, Florida. 



This species varies a good deal in the number and arrangement of 

 the nnchal scutes. Sjjecimens from Tehuantepec, on the west coast of 

 Mexico, exhibit from two to four nuchal scuta and from two to five 

 cervical. Several specimens present the irregnlarity of having scuta 

 of the external dorsal series to Join on the middle line of the back, 

 replacing the median row of scutes at those points.' 



' Proceedings, American Bhilosophical Society, XI, 1869, p. 161. 



