712 PHILOSOPHIC AL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1755. 



XCV. Of the Lacerta (Crocodilm) ventre marsupio donato, faucibm Merganseris 

 rostrum cemulantibus.* By Mr. George Edwards, p. 639. 



What is most extraordinary in this species, and distinguishes it from all other 

 crocodiles, is the narrowness of the beak or chaps, which appears like the bill 

 of the bird called a goosander (merganser). It has small sharp teeth, of which 

 he says no more, as he has given 3 very exact views of the head and beak ; see 

 fig. 14, pi. 16. Another particularity is a pouch or open purse in the middle of 

 the under side of the belly, which seems to be naturally formed, with round lips 

 and a hollow within, perhaps to receive its young in times of danger; as we find 

 it in the American opossum. The opinion of Dr. Parsons too was, that the 

 opening in the belly was really natural, it having no appearance of having been 

 cut or torn open. In other respects it has all the marks common to alligators 

 and crocodiles, viz. a particular strong square scaliness on the back, which in 

 the young ones appear distinct and regular, but in the older ones lose their dis- 

 tinct form, and become knobbed and rough, like the bark of an old tree; and 

 in having small, round, and oval scales on their sides, which in the young ones 

 are no larger than rape seeds; and the belly is scaled, to appearance a little like 

 the laying of bricks in a building. It has fins on the outsides of its fore and 

 hinder legs, as other crocodiles have. It has also a great distinguishing mark of 

 the crocodile kind, viz. two rows of fins on the upperside of the tail, which be- 

 gin insensibly small at the setting on of the tail, and increase gradually as they 

 advance toward the middle of it, where they become one row, and so continue 

 to the end. The tail is roundish at its beginning, but from the middle, where 

 the two rows of fins become one, it is flat like an oar. The fore feet have each 

 5 toes, the hinder feet only 4; which is also a mark of the crocodile; all the 

 lesser lizards having 5 toes on each of their hinder feet. In the fore and hinder 

 feet, the 3d and 4th toes only are webbed together. The eyes are very promi- 

 nent. The head is covered with several large scales. The beak is finely creased 

 transversely. As I have been very exact, says Mr. E. in my figure, which was 

 worked on the copper-plate immediately from nature by my own hand, and in 

 several different views, it will express more than can easily be conveyed by words. 

 It appeared in the spirits all over of a yellowish olive colour, the underside lighter 

 than the upper ; the upperside having some dusky marks and spots, as repre- 

 sented in the print. This species Mr. E. believes, when at full growth, to be 

 near, if not quite, as large as the common crocodile. 



* This species is the lacerta gangetica, Linn. Gmel. It grows to a larger size than the Nilotic 

 crocodile, and exclusive of the long and narrow form of the snout, it has nearly double the number 

 of teeth : the specimen here described was so young as to have the opening of the umbilical vessels 

 still remaining : otherwise it has no particular ventral cavity, as erroneously imagined by the author. 



END OF VOLUxME TENTH. 



C. and R. Baldwin, Printer*, 

 New Bridge-itreet, London , 1 



