OF EECBNT CEOCODILIANS. 



157 



Mecistops catapheactus. (African False Garial.) (Plate XXXII. figs. 1, 2, 3.) 



Crocodilus bisctitatus, Cu^der, Oss. Poss. iii. 52^ 65, t. 5 (very young). 



Crocodilus bisulcatus, Bory, Diet. Class. N. H. v. 108, misprint. 



Crocodilus cataphractus, Cuvier, Oss. Foss. v. t. 5. f. 1, 3 (crocodile h. nuque ciiirassee) j [copied 



A. Dum. Arch, du Miis. x. t. 14. f. 2]. Dum. & Bib. E. G. iii. 126 (young). Bennett, Proe. 



Zool. Soe. 1834, p. 110. Owen,Cat. Osteol. Spec. Mus. Coll. Surg. p. 155. n. 710 (Cuvier's type) . 

 The Crocodile, Bowdich, Madeira, 232. 

 Crocodilus leptorhynchus, Bennett, Proe. Zool. Soc. 1835, p. 129. A. Dum. Arch, du Mus. x. 252 & i. 



171, t. 14. f. 1. 

 Mecistops cataphractus, Gray, Cat. B. M. 58. 

 Mecistops bennettii. Gray, Cat. B. M. 57. 

 Gavial of Senegal, Gray, Rep. Brit. Assoc. 1862, Sect. 107. 

 Mecistops, Balfour Baikie, Proe. Zool. Soe. 1857, p. 58. 



Hob. West and Central Africa ; "? Fernando Po {Bennett), Gaboon, Lagos. Central 

 Afi-ica, River Binue (Baikie). 



The species has been described fr-om small young specimens. It grows to a large 

 size. There is an imperfect specimen which is scarcely adult, in the British Museum, 

 that was sent fr-om Fernando Po by Capt. R. F. Burton, which must have been 13 or 14 

 feet long. Unfortunately it wants the head ; the body is 5 feet and the tail 8^ feet long. 



Fig. 15. 



Fig. 17. 



FiR. 16. 



Figs. 15-18. Head and cei-rical shield of Mecistops cataphractus. 



The specimen, originally sent by Mr. Bennett, was said to have come from Fernando 

 Po; but Dr. Balfour Baikie observes that Fernando Po is a small volcanic island, 

 totally without the muddy rivers delighted in by Crocodiles, and possessmg nothing but 

 streams, which during the rainy season are tumultuous mountain-torrents, with rocky 

 beds.— Proe. Zool. Soc. 1857, p. 58. 



VOL VI. PART IV. ^ 



