314 CLASS XV. 



Family XXII. Orocodilini. Maxillary teeth conical, palatine 

 none. Head covered with skin not scaly, adhering closely to the 

 cranial bones. Tongue adherent on all sides, flat, fleshy. Trunk 

 and tail mailed above and below with large, quadrangular scutes; 

 lesser scales at the sides of trunk oval or rounded. Hind feet 

 palmate or semipalmate. Tail compressed. 



Crocodilus Gronov., Laur., Schn. Characters of the family 

 those of the single genus. (Feet with three inner toes alone 

 unguiculate, anterior pentadactylous, posterior tetradactylous. 

 Transverse cutaneous fold above the auditory meatus. Tail longer 

 than trunk; a serrated crest extending above the tail, double at 

 its base, confluent and single towards the extremity.) 



The crocodiles are large lizards that live in fresh water, and are 

 met with in warm regions of both hemispheres of the earth. They 

 are very voraciol^s predacious animals ; by day they keep more on 

 dry land, whilst tliey pass the night in the water, and then make 

 quest for their prey. Herodotus and Aristoteles have noticed 

 various interesting particulars concerning the crocodile of the Nile, 

 which have been confirmed by the later accounts of travellers. For 

 a long period different species of this genus have been known, 

 which LiNN^us united under the name of Lacerta Crocodilus, and 

 which Schneider, and after him Cuvier more especially, have 

 distinguished with critical accuracy; about twenty species are 

 now known. 



Compare J. G. Schneider Hist. Amphih. ii. pp. i — 170; Cuvier (S'mj- 

 les differentes especes de crocodiles vivans et sur leurs caracferes distinctifs, 

 Ann. du Mus. d'Hist. nat. x. 1807, PP- 8 — 66: also transfeiTed and ampli- 

 fied in his liecherch. s. I. Ossein, foss., sec. ed. v. 2, pp. 14 — 66; F, Tiede- 

 MANN, M. Oppel and J. Liboschitz NaturgeschicUe der Amphibien, Erstes 

 Heft, Krohodil. Mit 15 Taf. Heidelberg, 18 17, folio. 



+ Upper jaiv broad, obtuse, with margin extended beyond the teeth of 

 loiver jaw. 



Alligator Cuv., Cham2)sa Wagl.^ Hind feet semi-palmate. Teeth 



1 This name ought to be suppressed ; it applies rather to the crocodile of the Nile, 

 which the Egyptians, according to Herodotus named thus, as at the present day, 

 according to the unanimous relation of travellers, temsach. Alligator (a corruption of 

 the Portuguese lagarto, which word is itself formed from lacerta) is the common name 

 which English voyagers and colonists give to the American crocodiles, whilst other 

 Europeans employ the name Kaaiman (Cayman or Caiman). 



