518 Reptiles. 



moment the Crocodile perceives him it rushes at him 

 with open mouth, but is coolly received by its antago- 

 nist, who thrusts his covered arm between its jaws. The 

 teeth cannot pierce through the thick folds of the cloth, 

 so that his arm only gets a smart squeeze, and before 

 the creature can disengage itself, he adroitly cuts its 

 throat. 



The Gavials have very long, slender snouts, and their 

 hind feet are webbed to the ends of the toes. These 

 animals grow to the length of twenty-five feet, and when 

 large are as dangerous and destructive as the Nilotic 

 Crocodile. They are found abundantly in the Ganges, 

 and in the fresh waters of most parts of India and its 

 islands. 



A short time before M. Navarette was at the Manillas, 

 he was told that, as a young woman was washing her 

 feet at one of the rivers, an Alligator seized and carried 

 her off. Her husband, to whom she had been but just 

 married, hearing her screams, threw himself headlong 

 into the water, and, with a dagger in his hand, pursued 

 the robber. He overtook and fought the animal with 

 such success as to recover his wife ; but, unfortunafely 

 for her brave rescuer, she died before she could be 

 brought to the shore. 



THE ALLIGATOK, OK CAYMAN. 



(Alligator Indus.} 

 THE habits of the Alligator are much the same as those 



