126 DR. J. E. GRAY’S SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES 
nuchal and dorsal plates, by which the different species of Crocodiles and Alligators may 
be most easily determined. 
My object in this paper is to furnish the zoologist with the best character to distin- 
guish the different species of Crocodile and Alligator, without any pretence of giving 
an account of the comparative anatomy or osteology of the species. I make this state- 
ment, as confusion arises in the student’s mind between the object of the studies of the 
two branches of the science, both equally important; but the one ought to be based on 
the examination and comparison of the largest possible number of specimens and 
species, while the most important papers on comparative anatomy are often those that - 
arise from the examination of a single example of the animal. 
I am well aware that there is a prejudice against such short papers, and that they 
incur the reproach of certain continental and native naturalists; but after considering 
their objection and their practice, I am still of the opinion that papers of the kind are 
far more useful to the working naturalist than the long descriptions of species. which it 
is the custom of these naturalists to prepare, when their descriptions, instead of merely 
presenting the peculiar character of the species under consideration, give in full detail 
under each species (so as to hide in a bushel of words the characters which you are 
looking for) the character of the genus, or even often of the family or order to which 
the species belongs. Macleay well observes, “'The modern art of describing is too long, 
often insufferably long, while human life remains as short as ever” (Ilust. Zool. S. 
Africa, p. 54). 
I know by experience that synoptical papers take far more mental and bodily labour to 
prepare than the description of a single specimen, often taken at haphazard and regarded 
as the type of a species because it presents some striking peculiarities of appearance. 
This paper, short as it is, is the result of the examination and repeated reexamination, 
at different periods, of more than two hundred specimens of Crocodiles,—a series of the 
most characteristic specimens of each species having been laid out so that they could be 
viewed and studied together and at leisure, and their peculiarities and likenesses noted 
down. 
If all the notes made during these comparisons were printed, as is the custom with 
many naturalists, they would fill many pages, and thus make a long paper. Many 
papers and books are estimated by their size, rather than by the extent of labour that 
has been bestowed upon them; while the results of much labour and careful study, 
condensed into a few pages, are often spoken of by critics, who never undertook such 
researches, or who dislike the labour of condensing their observations into systematic 
order, as merely the short notes of a hasty examination: at least that is the way in 
which some papers, which were the results of equally extensive examinations, have been 
regarded by naturalists who should have known better. 
I may further observe that, even after so much study, when new specimens have been 
accumulated and with additional experience, one frequently finds peculiarities overlooked 
