344 CROCODILID^. 



Hah. — The Sind Coast and the Bay of Bengal. Deposits its eggs 

 at Clifton and Ghizree at Kurrachee, great quantities being daily 

 brought in for sale daring the season. The flesh is eaten by the 

 natives. According to Sir Eruerson Tennent it is said to be occasion- 

 ally poisonous. 



ORDER— SAURIA. 

 LIZARDS. 



Scaled reptiles usually possessing eyelids and four external limbs. 

 Jaws toothed ; the rami of lower jaw united in front by a bony suture. 

 Limbs and eyelids never both absent. Oviparous or ovoviviparous. 



Emydosauria. — Watee Saurians. 



Body cuirassed with osseous plates. Vent longitudinal. Oviparous. 

 Tongue, short, flat, immovable. 



Family, CROCODILID^. 



Crocodiles. 



Head with the snout produced, body depressed, covered above and 

 below with square shields arranged in longitudinal and transverse 

 series ; tail compressed, elongate. Feet short, more or less webbed. 

 Teeth unequal, strong, conical, acute, in a single series and embedded 

 in sockets. Toes 5 — 4. Claws 3 on all feet. Hind feet with an 

 external ridge of scales. 



Crocodiles are found between the tropics wherever the country is 

 watered by sufficiently large rivers or lakes. 



According to Cantor, the Indian species also inhabit the sea coast, 

 and in calm weather may be seen floating at a distance of two or three 

 miles from shore. Those inhabiting inland waters which are dried up 

 during a drought are compelled to wander about in search of water. 

 They do this during the night. Some, however, bury themselves m the 

 mud and remain in a state of torpor, till better times come. Dr. 

 Gunther further adds, that a man seized by a crocodile has only one 

 way of saving his life, if not his limb, namely, to force his fingers into 

 the eyes of the beast, which immediately lets go its victim. 



Crocodilus, Cuv. 



The fourth tooth of the lower jaw fits into a notch in the upper jaw. 

 Snout moderately long. 



Crocodilus palustris, Less, in Bdang. Voy. Ind. Orient. Zool. 

 Bept., p. 305 ; Giinih. Cat. Eej^. Br. Ind., p. 61 ; theub. Cat. Rep. Br. 

 Ind., p. 36. — The Maksh Crocodile. 



Upper surface of snout covered with numerous small irregular pro- 

 minences ; inter-orbital space deeply concave. Two pairs of keeled 

 anterior nuchal plates ; three pairs of large posterior ones, all strongly 



