146 DR. J. E. GEAT'S SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES 



have come from Africa ; and he figured and described it under the name of Crocodilus 

 gravesii in the Dictionnaire Classique d'Hist. Nat. vol. iii. p. 109, t. 



MM. Dumeril and Bibron observe that, vphen they asked for a new account of the 

 specimen, it was in such a bad condition that they could only reproduce the description 

 given by M. Graves. The study of the description and figure, which are the only 

 material now left for the purpose, lead to the idea that it was not distinct from 

 Crocodilus rhomhifcr, and was most probably brought from the island of Cuba; and 

 the ships which are engaged in trade with the negroes on the coast of Congo 

 frequently visit Cuba, as that island is furnished with slaves from the Congo coast ; so 

 that it is not at all unlikely that the specimen was brought from that island. 



2. Palinia'? moeeletii. (Yucatan Palinia.) 

 Crocodilus morektii, Dum. Arch, du Mus. vi. 255, t. 20 ; Cat. Kept. 28, n. 5*. 

 Palinia? morektii, Gray, Ann. & Mag. N. H. 3rd series, x. 271. 



Dorsal scales keeled, nearly square; scales of the sides and limbs smooth, without 

 tubercles. 



Hab. Yucatan, Lac Flores (M. Morelet). 



This species is described from a specimen in the Museum of Paris, which is very 

 badly figured and indistinctly described in the memoir above cited. 



There are two young specimens of Crocodiles, in spirit, without habitats, in the 

 British Museum, which are peculiar in the large size of the nuchal shield, the strength 

 of the keels of the dorsal shields, and the large keeled scales of the forearms and thighs, 

 in which they agree with Palinia rhomhifera ; but there is so much difference between 

 the two, and between each of them and the specimens of that species from Cuba, that I 

 think they must be left in doubt for further elucidation. There are also two small 

 stuffed specimens in the collection (purchased of dealers, without any locality attached), 

 which are peculiar in having six series of uniform, squarish, very strongly keeled dorsal 

 scales; they are very unlike any other specimen in the collection, and may be new; 

 but I do not like to describe them in the present imperfect state of our knowledge. 



b. The intermaxillary bone elongate, produced and truncated behind ; the sutures sloping 

 backwards and converging, and then transverse or sinuous. Toes webbed. Legs 

 with a fringe of elongated triangular scales. 



4. Crocodilus. 



Face oblong, depressed, without any ridge in front of the orbits. Nuchal shields 

 four, in an arched series. Cervical disk rhombic, of six shields. Dorsal plates quadri- 

 lateral, as broad as long; the vertebral series rather the widest and most keeled. 

 Intermaxillary produced behind. 

 Crocodilus, Gray, Ann. & Mag. N. H. 3rd series, x. 271. 



" The crocodiles live on the mud-banks or swimming about the rivers " of Africa. 



Dr. Balfour Baikie observes : — " The ninth upper tooth of crocodiles is said to be 



