HERPETOLOGY. 



faint sunbeam*, by getting under the reflection of a 

 wall, and it heH towards the sun. In scra- 



ping the ground to form its winter retreat, it dug with 

 it* rare feet, and threw up the earth over it* back with 

 it* hinder feet ; but the motion of its leg* was so slow, 

 tt scarcely tn be observed ; and though it worked with 

 the greatest a*iduity both night and day, it was more 

 ffcm a fortnight before it had completed it* inhuma- 

 tion. 



How long an animal of this specie* may live, we 

 cannot determine ; but it is known at least, that their 

 age may exceed a century. One of them wa* introdu- 

 ced into the garden of Lambeth palace in the time of 

 Archbishop Laud, wa* living a hundred and twenty 

 year* afterward*, and died at la*t rather from the ne- 

 gle* of the gardener then from exteive age. 



1., mm* 



i an excellent article of food, 

 though it i* scarcely employed far that purpose, ex. 

 cept in Greece. The egg*, however, are eaten very 

 commonly in Italy. 



Daudin enumerate* eight varietie* of the Greek tor- 

 toise, all of wh;ch are of a very diminutive *ise, and 

 differ chiefly in the surface and variegation* of the 

 ahicld. 



Among the numerous fattO remain* of an ancient 

 world that have lately been discovered, are several that 

 btaaog to the tortoise tribe*. These have been found 

 tt Malta ; in the environ, of Berlin . in the forert of 

 Leipsic ; at Aix in the tooth of France ; in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Brussels ; in the mountain, of St Pierre 

 iMtv JMotncot ; MM in t*w plMtv awn*M new ln*wi*v 



The*e mntiins have been d.Mcrihen by F*uiu de St 



IT~J - *vi- > -^ e>*v-. *-_ _X c*> *? ,_ ,1 



rOOO B DM OClMnK Of tBC BMMDCB1D OT O* neffTW* nu 



by Cuvier in the I4th voL of the Annoltt de 

 p. S9- From the*e account* we gather, that, 



remain* have been found of the great turtle, of the 

 imbncatfd, cmrrtta, end eorimtmnu turtle* ; and of at 

 one specie. (T.Jlava, or Europe*) of fireah water 



OEDEK II. SAI'UIAN HM'TII I B 



Bttidt* whet we have said neptrtliif tint order, in 

 our general trrtogeitent. p. 5. we may remark , that, 

 in most of the specie*, there is no sensible neck, or re- 

 pMrttiblc cootTeaCtioo between the beetl wxl body j tM*t 

 they have all a length mill thorax, protected by the 

 rib*; that their uH u inert cotncaooly rounded, though 

 in *ome tribes it i* compre**ed laterally, 



of a fin, being very seldom 

 which are always short, are in a few in- 

 two in number. Toe number of the tee* 

 component joint*, a* well a* their form 

 re tkuttion, differ considerably. All the 

 tpecie* 'change their akin every spring. Their jaws, 

 though they commonly expand very considerably, ne- 

 ver separate from each other at the articulation, a* we 

 shall hereafto find to be tl*ca*e with (entente. They 

 all feed on living animal*. Their voice m weak, and 

 retemble* t dull hu* or whistle. They copulate, lay 

 eggs covered with a calcareous or membranou* shell, 

 which they drpo.it in the earth or nod, but do not a*, 

 tint in hatching them. They are in general very active 

 and voracious. Moat of the specie* ere inhabitant* of 

 the wanner climate*, few of them being found in the 

 It ha* been remarked, that 



northern countries. , 



thi order are found nearly the Urged and the 

 ef the perfect animals. 



that in 



FAMILY I. Kauri Planicmulali. FLAT-TAILEI> SAURIANS. Saunac 

 - I. CROCODILUS. CROCODILES. v ' 



In this trite, the back and belly are covered with Cmoco- 

 large plates ; the head i* broad and flat; the tongue short, ^ E 

 fleshy, and adhering to the lower jaw ; the tail very 

 much compressed, and armed above with a serrated 

 crest, at fir-t double, but single towards the tip. They 

 have four strong feet, of which the hinder have five 

 toe*, more or less palmated, only three being furnish- 

 ed with nails. All the specie* are capable of living 

 both in water and on land ; they generally inhabit the 

 former, but move with ease upon the latter. 



Daudin has enumerated seven species, which he ar- 

 range* under three Sections, a* follow*. 



SECT. I. Crocotliltt properly to called. 



Snout long and flat ; one tooth on each side of the < 

 lower jaw, prolonged outwards, and shutting into a 

 groove in the upper jaw. 



SPECIE* 1. Croeodiluf nilatictti. Nilotic crocodile. 

 Muzzle flat and oblong; fourth tooth of the lower jaw 

 resting against the edge of the upper jaw : six large Purr 

 carinated plate* upon the neck. Plate CCXCVI. CCXCVI. 

 3. F * * 



I* crocodile de ffil, Daud. ii. p. 367, pi. xxvii. fig. I. 



Lt crocodile, Lacepede, i. part ii. art. I . 



Lacrrla erocodilut, Linn, a (imelin, p. 1057. 



Common crocodile, Shaw iii. pi. Iv. Ivi. Ivii. 



Under this species, Daudin ranks as varieties the 

 crocodile of Senegal, the black crocodile, and the In- 

 dian crocodile. 



SECT. II. GaviaU. 



Hunk lengthened, narrow, nearly cylindrical ; two 

 teeth at leett on etch tide of the lower jaw, prolonged 

 upwaida betide the upper jaw. 



Sp, t. C. tongirottrit. Long-beaked crocodile. Muz- l.ongirej. 

 xle double the length of the head ; both jaws f.irm-h- " 

 ed with 27 teeth on etch ide ; four carinated plates, 

 ditpoaed in a square upon the neck. 



Le crocodile a long bee, on le petit gai-ial, Daud. i. 



Arcttrottru. Narrow-beaked C. Gangetic AreHrotris. 

 C. Muzzle narrow, a* long a* the head ; upper jaw 

 furnished with 88 teeth on etch tide ; lower jaw with 

 only t& on etch *ide ; two carinated plates upon the 



Le rreoaei'fc a tee etroit, ou le grand gavial, Daud. i. 

 39S. pi. xxvii. fig. g. 



Le gavial, Lacepede, vol. i. part ii. art. 3. pi. xii. 

 fig. f . 



Ijacerta ganftlica, Linn, a Gmel. p. 1057. 



Ijmg-Hoitd crocodile, Edwards, Phil. Trans, xlix. 

 p. 099- pi. xix. 



CioMgettc crocodile, Shaw, iii. p. 197. pi. lx. 



SECT. III. Caiman*. 



Muule broad, flat, and obtuse ; the fourth tooth of 

 the lower jaw received into a particular cayity of the 

 upper jaw, by which it i* concealed. 



Up. 4. C. caiman. Caiman crocodile. Beak flat, a Caimaa. 

 littlr narrower than the head ; jaw* furnished with 19 

 teeth on each side; 14 carinated plates, disposed in 

 five rows upon the neck. 



I* crocodile caiman, Daud. i. p. 399- 



/Mcerta alligator, Linn, a (inn I. p. 1058. No. Ii. 



Alligator, Shaw, iii. p. 192. p |. |j x . 



5. C. jrecere. Ytcare C. Mux*le blunt, a little Yaaw. 



