TRUE CROCODILES. 27 



such as Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Florida, this crocodile is also met with in 

 the West Indian Islands. 



Orinoco Nearly allied to the last, although with a still longer and more 



Crocodile. slender snout, is the Orinoco crocodile (G intermedins), which is 

 referred by Mr. Boulenger to a third group, characterised by their very slender 

 and garial-like snouts, of which the length is equal to at least twice the basal 

 breadth ; and also by the bony union between the two branches of the lower jaw 

 extending as far back as the sixth, seventh, or eighth tooth, instead of stopping 

 short at the fifth. In this particular species the snout, which has no ridges, varies 

 in length from twice to twice and a half the width at the base ; while the six bony 

 plates on the neck are widely separated from those of the back, and are arranged 

 in a square of four, with a pair on the sides. The colour is olive above and 

 yellowish beneath, while in both this and the preceding species the length is about 

 13 feet. The Orinoco crocodile appears to be confined to the river from which it 

 takes its name and its affluents. The best accounts of the Orinoco and sharp- 

 nosed crocodile are by Humboldt, who states that these reptiles swarm on the 

 Apure, where they may often be seen in parties of eight or ten lying on the open 

 space between the shore of the river and the forest. At the time of his journey 

 the river was, however, still low, and consequently hundreds of crocodiles were 

 lying concealed beneath the mud of the adjacent lowlands. In the stomach of one 

 that was opened were found a half -digested fish and a granite pebble ; the latter 

 having probably been swallowed inadvertently while the animal was groping about 

 in the mud in search of food. In spite of their comparatively slender jaws, these 

 crocodiles frequently seize the natives while stooping to draw water from the river. 

 A large portion of their prey is, however, afforded by the defenceless carpinchos, 

 which are met with in droves of from fifty to sixty head, and fall victims to the 

 jaguars on land and to the crocodiles in the water. In their young state — when 

 only from 7 to 8 inches in length — the crocodiles themselves are, however, devour* ■< 1 

 by vultures, who seize them on the shore or in the shallow water. It was curious, 

 observes Humboldt, to see the address with which the little reptiles defended 

 themselves for a time against their aggressors. As soon as they perceived the 

 enemy, they raised themselves on their fore-paws, bent their backs, and lifted up 

 their heads, opening their wide jaws. They turned continually, though slowly, 

 towards their assailant to show him their teeth, which, even when the animal had 

 but recently issued from the egg, were very long and sharp. Often, while the 

 attention of one of the young crocodiles was wholly engaged by one of the 

 vultures, another seized the favourable opportunity for an unforeseen attack, 

 pouncing on the unfortunate reptile by the neck and bearing it off" in the air. The 

 anecdote told by Humboldt of a native of Calabozo being awakened in the middle 

 of the night by one of these crocodiles suddenly breaking through the mud of the 

 floor of his hut, beneath which it had retired for the dry season, is probably 

 familiar to most of our readers. 



Long-Nosed Omitting notice of the small Johnstons crocodile (C. johinstoni), 



crocodile. f North Australia, the last member of the -vims is the curious Long- 

 nosed crocodile (C. cataph met us), of West Africa, which forms a kind of connecting 

 link between the other true crocodiles and the garials. In this species the snout 



