308 Dr Hancock on the Caymans, &fc. 



A cayman was killed, in 1815, before the house of Mr Loran- 

 . da at Angostura : I examined and found it measured eleven feet. 

 It had a series of thin cartilaginous appendages on both sides 

 of the back, extending to within 18 inches of the extremity of 

 the tail. The head was long and narrow. It had soft crescent- 

 shaped nostrils near the end of the snout. There were 19 teeth 

 on one side of the upper jaw, 20 on the other, and 15 on each 

 side the lower jaw. The two fore-teeth in the lower jaw pro- 

 jected through the upper. These were 5 toes on the fore feet ; 

 and 4 on the hind ones. Its colour was black, except the belly. 

 Internally, there was a folding membrane, valve-like, before 

 the gullet, but no tongue. This was a young female, and had 

 small eggs the size of pistol bullets. 



A Carib called it Acarou, or Acaaru, in his language. 



There is a large species of crocodile inhabiting the interior 

 rivers, which is quite unknown to naturalists, and even to the 

 littoral tribes of Indians ; but all the inland tribes recognise it 

 by a distinct name. The Macosi Indians call it Teri-teri-ou. 

 They described it as having an appendage or extension of the 

 skin along each side of the belly, and a forked or divided tail. 

 It is said to grow near the size of the cayman of Orinooko ; but 

 to be less dangerous than it. Some Arowaks say the Teri-teri-ou 

 is second in size, and inhabits deep waters. I should doubt the 

 existence of this last, were it not that all the inland nations have 

 a name for it distinct from that of the cayman and alligator. 

 The united testimony of so many tribes renders it certain that 

 such an animal does exist. 



Don Francisco Yustre, an intelligent Savanero, says there is 

 another smaller species of baba, yellow, with short head, and 

 nose turned up. 



William and Johnson, two Arowak Indians, say there is a 

 white kykoty ; and both agree in representing it as about 18 

 inches long. 



