CATALOGUE OF SHIELD REPTILES. 



25 



II. The ventral scutella thin: the dorsal scutella bony, not articu- 

 lated together. The eyelids Jleshy, smooth. The cervical 

 scutella in pairs, separate. Nasal bone elongate, separating 

 the nostrils. North America. 



3. Alligator. The face hroad, depressed. 



Section I. The ventral scutella like the dorsal ones, bony and 

 articulated together, forming a shield. Tlie eyelids 

 ivith an internal bony plate. The cervical scutella in 

 pairs, forming an elongated shield. Nasal bone short. 

 Tropical America. 



1. JACARE. 



Head moderately high, shelving on the sides. Orhits 

 united by a distinct bony cross ridge. Eyelids striated or 

 rugose, strengthened by a small internal bone. The cer- 

 vical scutella four or five pairs, forming a shield ; the dor- 

 sal and ventral scutella both consolidated together, forming 

 a dorsal and ventral shield ; the gular and ventral plates 

 smooth. 



Jacare, Gray, Cat. Tort. Sf Croc. B. M. p. 64, 1844 ; Ann. 



4- Mac/. Nat. Hist. 3rd ser. x. p. 327, 1862 ; Trans. Zool. 



Soc. 1869, vi. p. 162. 



Huxley, Proc. Linn. Soc. 1859, p. 4. 

 Jacaretinga, Spix, Lacert. 

 Pelosuchus, Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1868, p. 203. 



The pits in the maxilla are the cavities left by the pre- 

 orbital ridges as they advance. The intermaxillary bono 

 short, truncated behind, with an elongate-oval or lanceo- 

 late cavity between this and the front of the palate. 



The figures of Natterer are excellent to general appear- 

 ance, but they do not agree with the measurements of our 

 specimen ; that is to say, the nose of Champsa fissipes, from 

 the ridge, is about the same length as the forehead ; but in 

 his figure it is represented as larger, and it is so in all the 

 other figures : perhaps this is to allow for the perspective. 



A. Head elongate ; interorbital ridges strong. Dorsal scu- 

 tella elongate, heeled ; keels of vertebral series highest. 

 Lumbar scutella in six longitudinal series ; nuchal scu- 

 tella small, compressed. Eyelids striated, with a rather 

 large interned bone. Back black, varied with yellow. 



Melanosuchus, Gray, Ann. cf Mag. Nat. Hist. x. p. 328. 



1. Jacare nigra. (Black Jacare.) 



Crocodilus sclerops, ScJin, Amph. p. 162. 



Blainv. Osteogr. Croc. t. 3. f. 2, t. 4. f. 13. 

 Crocodilus yakare, Daud. 



Alligator sclerops, Cuvier, Oss. Foss. v. p. 35, t. 1. f. 6 & 7, 



t. 2. f. 3. 



Bruhl, Skclet. Krokod, t. 12. f. 3, 5, 6, 7, t. 19. f. 21. 

 Alligator sclerops, var., Gray, Syn. Kept. 

 Caiman niger, Spi.r, Bras. t. 4 (good). 

 Champsa nigra, Natt< e, e. Beitr. t. 21 (good). 

 Alligator niger, Oiven, Cat. Osteal. Spec. Mus. Coll. Surg. 



p. 704. n. 166 (adult). 

 Jacare nigra, Gray, Cat. Tort, fy Croc. p. 65 ; Ann. cf Mag. 



Nat. Hist. x. p! 328, 1862 ; Trans. Zool. Soc, 1869, vi. 



p. 163. 



Hub. Para, 13 feet long (Graham); Guiana (Owen). 



I think it better to adopt Spix's name, as schrof)s has 

 been used for all the species. 



B. Head short ; orbits with diverging ribs in front to edge 

 of jaw. Dorsal scutella broad, slightly keeled, equal .• 

 the lumbar scutella in four longitudinal series ; nuchal 

 scxdella distinct, in two cross series. Eyelids rugose, 

 with a small internal bone. Back olive, banded with 

 brown. 



Cynosuchus, Gray, Ann. $■ Mag. Nat. Hist. 1862, x. p. 328. 



In many of the specimens the first scale of the nuchal 

 shield has two keels, in others only one ; but in several 

 specimens the scale has two keels on one side and only one 

 on the other. 



a. Head short, broad, depressed, with very distinct preor- 

 bital ridges to the edge of the jaw. Cervical disk short, 

 broad, formed of four bands of scutella. Sides of jaws 

 pale, with a series of dark spots. 



2. Jacare latirostris. (Dog-headed Jacare.) B.M. 



Dorsal shields in eight longitudinal series, four on each 

 side. Ventral shields in twelve series. 



Crocodilus latirostris andC. yacare, Daud, Bept. ii. pp. 407, 



417. 

 Caiman fissipes, Spix, Bras. t. 3 (good). 

 Champsa fissipes, Wagner, Icon. t. 17. 



Natterer, Beitr. t. 22 (good). 

 Crocodilus sclerops, Wad. Abbild. t. 



Blainv. Osteogr. Crocod. t. 3. f. 2, t. 4. f. 13. 



Schinz, Bept. t. 112. 

 Jacare fissipes, Gray, Cat. Tortoises B. M. p. 64. 

 Alligator sclerops, Pr. Max. Abbild. t. 

 Alligator cynocephalus, Dam. 4' Bibr. Erp. Gen. ii. p. 86. 

 Alligator latirostris, Hensel, Wiegm, Arch. 1868, p. 34^. 



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