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rior fingers with claws; hinder ones with four fingers, 
the three interior ones with claws ; claws slightly curved, 
acuminated. 
DIVISIONS OF THE GENUS. 
* Aviiegators. Fourth lower tooth on each side, received 
into a fovea ia the upper jaw ; feet semi palmate. 
** Crocopines. Fourth lower tooth on each side, passing 
out of the upper gaw by a fissure ; feet palmate ; rostrum 
oblong. 
The divisions of this genus into Aligators, Crocodiles, 
and Gavials, have long been used in common language, 
and they have been adopted and characterised by the cele- 
brated G. Cuvier, who has written an excellent monograph 
on the existing species, in the tenth volume of the Annales 
de Muséum, from which I have extracted the characters 
given by that learned anatomist. 
The Alligators or Caimans, have their head less oblong 
than the crocodiles; their teeth are unequal; the shanks 
of their hinder legs are never crested. 
The length of the head of the Crocodiles, (properly so 
calied), is double the breadth, or more. Their teeth are 
unequal, and their hinder shanks have externally a den- 
tated crest, 
The Gavials are distinguished from both divisions of 
this genus, by having nearly equal-sized teeth, and a very 
long and cylindric rostrum. 
