158 DR. J. E. GRAY’S SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES 
Most probably Mr. Bennett’s specimen came from the coast, and was only received 
through agents at Fernando Po. 
Cuvier, in his Essay, described, under the name of Crocodilus biscutatus, and figured 
the nuchal shields at t. 2. f. 6, a species of Crocodile founded on a specimen in the French 
Museum, which is labelled in Adanson’s hand “ Gavial du Sénégal,” and also on a 
very mutilated stuffed specimen which Cuvier found in the Museum of the Academy 
of Sciences at Paris (see Oss. Foss. vy. 53, 65, t. 2. f. 6). He observes:—“ the colour 
of these specimens is scarcely darker than that of the common Crocodile; therefore it 
cannot be the Black Crocodile of Adanson.” And he further specially remarks that 
“the jaws are a little longer and narrower than those of C. vulgaris, but not so long and 
slender as those of C. acutus.” 
It resembles the latter in the dorsal shield of the vertebral line being only slightly 
keeled; but its peculiar character is that the middle of its nape is armed with two 
large pyramidal shields, and with two smaller ones in front of them. 
This Crocodile has been a paradox until this time. MM. Duméril and Bibron 
regarded this mutilated specimen as only a specimen of the American Crocodile 
(C. americanus) with an anomalous development of the cervical and nuchal shields, 
observing that the specimens of this species are liable to variation in this respect; but 
yet they do not describe any as exactly resembling Cuvier’s description or figure. 
It does not appear that the specimen labelled by Adanson came under the 
examination of these naturalists; at least I cannot find any reference to it in their 
work. Cuvier unfortunately does not state its size; but I have a strong opinion that 
it must have been a very young specimen of Mecistops cataphractus before its elongated 
jaws were developed, and that the name of Gavial du Sénégal was very applicable to 
it; the back is grooved, by the flatness of the vertebral series of shields, as described 
by Cuvier, and as is characteristic of the American Crocodile (C. acutus) with which 
MM. Duméril and Bibron compared it. But this is a question that can only be solved 
by the examination of the original specimens. 
Cuvier, in his Essay (vol. v. p. 58), observes, ‘* When in England in 1818’, I saw at the 
' T recollect this visit with pleasure; for I was deputed by Dr. Leach to show this celebrated naturalist and 
wavering politician some of the natural-history treasures, and also some of the social and political peculiarities of 
the metropolis, such as the Tower, the Bell and Lancaster and other schools, &e. Among the rest, I took him 
to the Westminster election, at Covent Garden. Being known to Sir Francis Burdett, I took M. Cuvier on 
to the hustings, and introduced him to some of the Westminster notabilities, whom he knew by reputation, 
and was anxious to see in person. He was so interested in these bygone saturnalia that we lingered tod 
long; for when Capt. Murray Maxwell attempted to speak, we were glad to “duck our heads” to ayoid the 
cabbage-stumps, rotten eggs, and dead cats and dogs with which the Captain was assailed; and when the mob 
attempted to take the hustings by storm, and were only driven off by the men-of-war’s men who were retained 
by Capt. Murray’s committee, we found it difficult to retreat. Cuvier visited England again in 1830, during the 
short revolution which placed Louis Philippe on the throne, While here, the Zoologists invited him to a dinner 
at the Albion Tayern: he was greatly pleased with what he called the almost royal magnificence of the 
