ALLIGATOEID^E. 145 



of the Lake of Nicaragua, in America, an Englishman was once pur- 

 sued by an Alligator which had surprised him when on its margin. 

 The animal was gaining upon him rapidly, when some Spaniards 

 who witnessed the scene cried out to him to run round it. Thus 

 fortunately warned the pursued dodged the Alligator, and escaped 

 from his dangerous enemy (Fig. 33). 



[No specimens of the Crocodilida have been found in Europe, 

 and until very recently none had been found in Australia, but they 

 are very common in the new colony of Queensland, an Alligator 

 twenty feet long having been shot on the banks of the Mackenzie 

 river, which was afterwards exhibited at Rockhampton. Croco- 

 diles, properly so called, are found in Africa, Asia, and America. 

 The Gavials seem to be limited to the Ganges and other large 

 rivers in India. Besides the Gavial, Asia produces three other 

 species, namely, C. vulgaris, C. galeatus, and C. bifurcatus. Of 

 the first, Siam is the chief locality ; the others are found in the 

 rivers which debouch into the Indian Ocean and the Ganges. 



THE ALLIGATOKIDJE 



Include the Jacares, Alligators, and Caimans. 



The Jacares have the head oblong and depressed, with a ridge 

 across the face in front of the eyes ; teeth unequal, canines of the 

 lower jaw fitting into a pit in the upper jaw ; toes only partially 

 webbed, eyelids fleshy, nostrils separated by a cartilage. Five 

 species are described namely, J. jissipes, from Tropical America, 

 six feet in length ; J". sclerops, from the Brazils ; J. Nigra, also 

 from the Brazils ; J. punctulatus, with triangular oblong head, 

 muzzle elongated, thin and flat, with a rounded point in front, 

 and a slight enlargement behind the nostrils ; J. vallefrons, differ- 

 ing slightly from the above both natives of the Brazils. 



Alligators have the jaws oblong, much depressed, broad and 

 nearly parallel ; forehead with a small longitudinal ridge between 

 the orbits ; feet fringed, toes half webbed, the outer toes free ; 

 nostrils separated by a bony septum rising from the upper edge, 

 muzzle lengthening with age. One species only is known, which 

 is a native of North America ; it attains a length of six to seven 

 feet, and is known also as Crocodilus Mississipensis. 



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