NOTES. 195 
escaped into the water. We went up to the nest and had it 
dug up. The tracker who did it was very careful when he 
came to the eggs, as he said that he was afraid that some of 
the young crocs might have hatched out and would then bite 
him. The eggs, which numbered over thirty, were about 
six inches below the surface, and were not all heaped together, 
Possibly the arrangement was such as is described elsewhere, 
namely, laid around a central small mound, which causes the 
eggs to scatter in a circular layer as they are laid. They hada 
thick hard shell, and were about the size of a goose egg. Those 
we opened were all quite fresh, but our efforts to hatch them 
out after our return to Colombo failed, possibly owing to the 
vibration on the motor journey. I have spoken to another 
keen and reliable observer with regard to the nesting of the 
crocodiles on the south coast rivers and lagoons, His obser- 
vations would refer to the Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodilus 
porosus). He states that the parent does not remain near the 
nest, but leaves the sun to do its work alone. Also the nests 
appear to be placed in very much drier ground, considerably 
above high-water level. Speaking of nests that he has 
observed when the young were on the point of hatching out, 
he states that it is quite easy to tell when the youngster is ready 
to come out, as it makes a cheeping noise, rather like that of a 
young chicken. It then breaks the shell by means of a tem- 
porary tooth developed at the end of the snout. When it 
emerges, the youngster does not at once make for the water, 
but stays near the nest for several minutes with its mouth wide 
open. If during this period it is put into the water, it at once 
comes out again and stays with its mouth open. After a 
certain time it goes down to the water and swims away, as 
an adult would. I presume that this action of the young 
crocodile in avoiding the water at first is due to the fact that 
in the egg its lungs are not expanded, and the interval with 
gaping mouth on dry ground is to give the lungs and the air 
tube, which runs up to the back of the nostrils, time to open 
and expand properly without any chance of their being 
choked with water. 
October 8, 1918. C. T. SYMONS. 
