CROCODILES, TURTLES, AND TORTOISES 107 



Trionyx subplanus), surely a very curious article of 

 diet for a Crocodile. The presence of large water- 

 worn pebbles in the stomach was of great interest, 

 for the place where the reptile was killed was situated 

 in the vast delta of the Rejang River an area made 

 up of nothing but swamps, where one might search 

 for a year without finding a pebble. It is evident, then, 

 that this Crocodile had travelled some hundreds of 

 miles towards the head-waters of this, or some other 

 river, in order to get the stones, and it is equally 

 evident that the stones played some important part 

 in its digestive economy. Doubtless these creatures 

 swallow stones, as many birds do, for the purpose of 

 triturating their food. The observation is of further 

 interest because water- worn pebbles have been found 

 in juxtaposition to the bones of Ichthyosauri, and it 

 has been suggested that these were swallowed for the 

 precise purpose mentioned above. 



Large balls of hair about the size of a man's head 

 are not unfrequently found in Crocodiles' stomachs. 

 These are generally formed round some nucleus which 

 appears to be of a concretionary nature, and are, of 

 course, derived from the hair of the Crocodile's victims. 1 



The common Macaque, in spite of its wiliness, 

 frequently falls a prey to the Crocodile. The monkey, 

 as I have already stated, is fond of feeding on the 

 crabs which abound in brackish waters : in the eager- 

 ness of his pursuit he draws too near to the huge 

 reptile lying immobile on the mud and looking like 

 some old log; nearer and nearer he draws, there is a 

 sudden swish of the huge tail, and the monkey is 



In many cases the hair is found to be that of wild pigs and 

 deer. C. H. 



