This curious reptile is one of the largest, if not the very largest of its order, sometimes 

 reaching a length of twenty-five feet. As its popular name imports, it is a native of 

 India, and swarms in many of the Indian rivers, the Ganges being greatly infested with 

 its presence. It is a striking animal, the extraordinary length of its muzzle giving it a 

 most singular and rather grotesque aspect 



This prolongation of the head varies considerably according to the age and sex of the 

 individual. In the young Gavial, for example, just hatched from the egg, the head is 

 short and blunt, and only attains its full development when the creature has reached 

 adult age. The males can be distinguished from the other sex by the shape of the 

 muzzle, which is much smaller at the extremity. There are many teeth, the full 

 complement being about one hundred and twenty. They are similar in appearance, and 

 about equal in length. 



The colour of this species is dark olive-brown, spotted with black. Several species of 

 African Gavials are known to zoologists, besides the Asiatic animal, but on account of 

 the different formation of the head, such as the absence of a swollen muzzle in the male, 

 and some important variations in the plates of the neck and back, they are placed in 

 another genus, and termed False Gavials. In the British Museum examples may be 

 found, among which may be named BENNETT'S GAVIAL (Mecistops Bennettii), an inhabitant 

 of Western Africa, and the False Gavial (Mecistops cataphractus). Some naturalists, 

 however, think that these animals are only varieties of the same species. 



WE now arrive at the true Crocodiles, in which the jaws are moderately lengthened, 

 wide, flat, tapering, and rather dilated at the extremities. The most peculiar of these 

 reptiles is the long-celebrated CEOCODILE of Northern Africa. 



This terrible creature is found chiefly in the Nile, where it absolutely swarms, and 

 though a most destructive and greatly dreaded animal, is without doubt as valuable in 

 the water as the hyaena and vulture upon the land. Living exclusively on animal food, 

 and rather preferring tainted or even putrefying to fresh meat, it is of great service in 

 devouring the dead animals that would otherwise pollute the waters and surrounding 

 atmosphere. 



