86 ZOOLOGY OF INDIA. 



duces several species. A very large terrestrial kind is named 

 the great Indian tortoise {Testudo Indica of Vosmaer). 

 It was first described by Perrault in the History of Animals 

 published by the Royal Academy of France. A specimen 

 caught on the Coroniandel coast measured four feet and a 

 half from the tip of the nose to the tail, and its height or 

 convexity was fourteen inches ; the shell itself was three 

 feet long and two feet broad, and was of a dull-brown 

 colour. 



The second order is named Saurian reptiles, and includes 

 the crocodiles and lizards. Of the former, the gavial or Gan- 

 getic crocodile is one of the most noted. It is characterized 

 by a cartilaginous prominence which surrounds the nostrils. 

 It attains to an enormous size, and is well distinguished from 

 the Nilotic species and alligator of America by its very pro- 

 jecting eyes and its narrow elongated muzzle. The teeth 

 are extremely numerous. 



The remarkable genus Draco is of easy discrimination 

 from all others on account of its very peculiar structure. 

 The first six false-ribs, instead of surrounding the abdomen, 

 project on a straight line with the back, and support a 

 membranous and wing-like expansion. Hence the species 

 are known under the name of flijnig dragons ; and although 

 such appellation may convey to the mass of mankind the 

 idea of formidable if not fabulous monsters, it in truth de- 

 signates nothing more than a few harmless lizards. Several 

 species, first clearly distinguished by Daudin, inhabit the 

 East Indies."^ 



♦About the midflle of last century, a Hamburgh merchant greatly 

 prided himself on llie possession of a famous dragon, which he consid- 

 ered as worth 10,000 florins. It was, however, discovered by the pene- 

 trating eye of Linnseustobe a gross deception, formed hy a combination 

 of the skins of snakes, the teelh of weasels, and other heterogeneous 

 elements. It is said that the great ?\veilish naturalist was obliged to 

 flee the city to avoid the wrath of the enraged proprietor. A similar 

 .scientific fraud appears to have been practised in our own country to- 

 wards the close of the seventeenth century. !t is thus related by Dr. 

 Grainger, from a note of Dr. Zachary Orey, in his edition of Ilndibras, 

 vol. i. p. 125 .— '• Mr. Smith of Bedford observes lo me on the word dm iron 

 as follows,— Mr. Jacob Bobart, botany professor of Oxford, didj about 

 forty years ago, find a dead rat in the Physic Garden, which he made to 

 resemble the common picture of dragons, by altering its head and tail, 

 and thrusting in taper shsrp sticks, which di.etended the skin on each side 

 till it mimicked wings. He let it dry as hard as possible. The learned 

 immediately pronounced it a dragon ; and one of them sent an accurate 



