-; - 



Tlu-re is n.th.-r a curious structure in the N.-rtebra- of th- i,,--k Then boOW are furnished 

 withshu 'verse pWOtawa like false ribs, w I ,,- ||,,. ..ftVt ..f j 



fn.ni (iirnin- its !,.- ;i d f n .in M,|. , . On land. ili,.|.-f,.n-. when- its f.*.|,|.- 



inad.Mjuat.- to tin- MI|.|,- t ,,f ti,,. long and heavy body, it can easily be avoided by any one at 

 ordinar\ agilitx. Tli.- e\,-> ai.- laiv. an<l - .,', the head. The earn are 



carefulh guanl.-d from tl*- ingress of water by a pair ( .f tightly dosing raJves. Below the 



it are a pair of glands which se<-n-t- a substance having a strong musky aeent which i 

 very disagreeable. ami in ..1.1 individuals taint th.- whole tl.-sh ujih it* nuik odor, and reader 

 it uneatable to ordinary palat>s. 



The youngof th.-s.- n-j.til,-s an- hatched fr,m eggn, which are Mtrunp.lv small i,, pn.jH.rtion 

 to the large <ttBMnri<XM of the adult animal. th<> n- l\ hat. h.^l ..irspring being no mnall as 

 hanlly to be recognized an belonging to the name species ma tlu-ir iwivnta, especially as there 

 are certain <lilT.-i-.-nr.-s ( ,f sl, : ,|. lu.n-aft.-r i<. U- in.-nti.im'd. 



These great reptih* are divided, or ruth.-r fall natunilly. inl<. tu famili.-s. nain.-ly. tli.- 

 Crocodiles and h- Allii^n..!-.. All the members of th.-s.- famili.-s , an U- .-asil\ distinmii,li-l hy 

 th.-shajKM.f th.-ir jaw sand (.-.-tli. th.- Inw.-r.-anin.. t.fih ( .f tin- (W.-Iil.-s lining !,<,., ,,/,./, j n 

 the edge of th.- npi^r jaw, and llios,. ,,f th.- Alliiritn> lit tin- int. .a /.// in ih.- i,|.j.-r jaw. Thi.s 

 peculiarity . auses an obvious dilT.-r.-m-.- in the outlim- of the li.-ad. th- ninx/l.-of the('nN-o<lil,-s 

 U-ini: narniw^l U-hind th.- nusuiN. while that ..f th.- Alliirat..i> forms :IM nnl.n.k.-n lim- t.. th.- 

 extn-mitj. A gUinn-. th.-n-fore, at the head will suffice to st-ttl.- th.- famih t.. whi.-h any 

 species belongH. In the Crocodiles, moreover, the hind legs are fringed U-hind with a series 

 of compressed scales. 



On: first . xani|,l.- ,,f the Crocodiles is the very n-markaMe UAVIAI^ or Oxirovno CROOO- 

 DII.K, Mim.-times known l>\ tin- naim- of NAKO... 



This curious n-ptile is one of the hirgvst, if not the very larRBNt of its order, soin.-times 



,iim a l.-n-th of twenty-live f.--t. As its popular name imjH.rts. it is u native of India. 

 and -warms in many of the Indian rivers, the Ganges oeintf greatly inf.-st.-d with its presence. 

 It is a striking animal, the extnmrdi nary length of it muzzle givimr it a most .singular and 

 nth. -,jne as|M-<-t. 



This prolong! t ion of tho heatl varies considerably arconlinK' to the age and --x of the 

 individual. In the young Gavial, for example, just hatched from th.-.-u^ t |,,. | uw j ^ H | l( , r , 

 and blunt, and only attains its full development wh.-n the rn-.tture ha ri<-h.-l adult age. 

 The males can be distinguished from the other >.-x by the sha]*- ,,f th,. niu//l.-. which is much 

 small.-r at the extremity. Then an- many teeth, the full complement being al*>ut one 

 hundn-.! and twenty They are similar in appearance, and about equal in length. 



The color of this speri.-s U dark (.live-brown, spotted with Mack. Several sjieci. -s of 

 African <>a vials are known to zoologists, l>esides the Asiatic animal. 1'iit on an-ount of ih.- 

 different formation of the head, such as the absence of a swollen imi/zle in the male, and some 

 important variations in the plates of the n.-<-k and Imrk, they an? placed in anoth.-r genus, and 

 termed False Gavials. Two other Crocodiles are named, Hi N N i rr's GAVIAL (Mccittop* ben- 



hi.h is an inhabitant of Western Africa, and th.- FAI.-I;(;A\ i\L(Jfeci*top* oat'i/,! 

 tut). Some naturalists, however, think that these animals are only varieties of the same 

 species. The False Gavial is represented in the engraving on next page. 



WE now arrive at the true Crocodiles, in which the jaws are mrxl.-nit.-ly lengthened. wide, 

 tlat. tapering, and rather dilat.-d at the extremities. Th most peculiar of these reptiles is 

 the l.mir-celelirated CRO< "Mii.i: of Northern Africa. 



This terrible creature is found chiefly in the Nile, where it absolutely swarms, and though 

 a most destructive and greatly dreaded animal, is without doubt as valuable in the water as 

 the hyena and vulture upon the land. Living exclusively on animal food, and rather pre- 

 ferring tainted or even putrefying to fresh meat, it is of great service in devouring the dead 

 animals that would otherwise j>ollute the waters and sum .unding atmosphere. 



It also feeds on fish, which it can catch by means of its great swiftness in the water, 



