The Zoologist— February, 1870. 2003 



house, being merely deposited in earth which was kept damp and 

 exposed to the rays of the sun. 



While examining the nest which had been discovered by Mr. 

 Symonds, we were told by some natives w^ho accompanied us that 

 there was another nesl, within a mile or two of the spot, which had 

 not yet been disturbed. 



On visiting this second nest, we found it in all respects very like 

 the first, except that it was not so large, and that, besides the trench 

 which surrounded it, there were one or two holes in the swamp in 

 which the natives said that the old crocodile was accustomed to lie. 



Warned by the narrow escape which Mr. Symonds had when 

 examining the first nest, we approached very cautiously, exj^ecting 

 an attack every moment ; and when we were all assembled on the edge 

 of the trench surrounding the nest, we hesitated to cross it, because it 

 was when he was in the act of stepping across the trench that Mr. 

 Symonds was first attacked by the other crocodile, which raised its 

 formidable jaws directly beneath him, and would no doubt have 

 effectually put a stop to his proceedings, had he not promptly dis- 

 charged the contents of his fowling-piece down her throat. This 

 shot was not, however, fatal; for Mr. Symonds was subsequently 

 charged twice by, as he believes, the same crocodile. On finding, 

 however, that no crocodile appeared, our confidence returned ; and at 

 length one of our number ventured to approach near enough to remove 

 the top of the nest, and to take away the eggs, of which he procured 

 twenty-five. 



On my expressing astonishment at the pacific conduct of the parent 

 crocodile, and suggesting that it was probably absent in pursuit of 

 food, the natives who were with us expressed their conviction that it 

 was at that moment in the trench, but that it was of a different caste 

 from the first. Further inquiries have satisfied me that this belief in 

 the existence of two different species, or, as the natives call them, 

 castes, of crocodiles, is universal in the country ; and Dr. J. Anderson, 

 of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, informs me that a similar belief 

 prevails in Bengal respecting the mugger, which closely resembles the 

 crocodile of Ceylon, if it be not identical with it. One caste is said 

 to confine itself to a fish diet, while the other attacks human beings. 



The former, called by the Sinhalese ' Elle Kimbola,' or gray crocodile, 

 grows to a larger size than the more savage species, and is said to be 

 that which is found about Kornegalle. As 1 have two thriving speci- 

 mens, hatched from the eggs of the crocodile which attacked Mr. 



