220 7 DR. MALCOLM SMITH ON 
them, and do not hesitate to bathe in the waters known to be inhabited 
by these creatures. They say that as long as they have plenty of fish 
to eat they will not attack human beings. In captivity their disposi- 
tion is variable. Some that I have kept have refused all food. Others 
fed freely on flesh of every kind, and soon learned to come to the side 
of the tank and take it. 
The flesh of this crocodile is eaten by the country people, while 
that of C. porosus is not. 
Breeding. Eggs are laid during the rainy season. They have 
the usual hard, white shell, and are from 75 to 80 mm. long by 50 
broad. I have had young ones hatched out in August. When born 
they were about 250 mm. in total length. They had no teeth at first, 
but these appeared after some ten days. They were very lively, and 
snapped fiercely when any attempt was made to handle them. 
In studying the distribution of C. siamensis I have naturally 
been led to enquire into the exact habitat of its close ally O. palustris. 
This is recorded as India, Ceylon, Burma, the Malay Peninsula and 
Java; and, if this were correct, one might certainly also expect to find 
it in Siam. 
After carefully examining a large number of crocodiles from 
various part of Siam, Iam convinced that it does not occur anywhere 
in that country. Nor does there appear to be any reliable evidence that 
it occurs either in Burma or the Malay Peninsula. Neither the British 
Museum, the Indian Museum, the Museum of the Bombay Natural His- 
tory Society nor the F. M. S. Museums, possess specimens from those 
countries, nor can the authorities of those institutions tell me of any ever 
having been obtained there. ‘hat a fresh-water crocodile exists in 
Burma is evident from the testimony of eye witnesses who have lived 
there, but whether it is palustris or siamensis, stilll remains to be shewn. 
The fresh-water crocodile of the upper part of the Malay 
Peninsula is almost certainly CO. siamensis. In fact this form appears 
to replace palustris east of the Indian or Indo-Burmese region. The 
occurrence of both species therefore in Java, as recorded, is of particu- 
lar interest. 
JOURN. NAT, HIST, SOC, SIAM, 
