158 DE. J. E. GEAY'S SYNOPSIS OV 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 1/ i scuta f us, 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 Senegal" and also on a 

 very mutilated stuffed specimen which Cuvier found in the Museum of the Academy 

 of Sciences at Paris (see Oss. Foss. v. 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 vertebi-al 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. Dumeril 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 Mecisto])s cataphractus before its elongated 

 jaws were developed, and that the name of Gavial du Senegal 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 actitus) with which 

 MM. Dumeril and Bibron compared it. But this is a question tliat 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 



' I recollect this visit with pleasure ; for I was deputed by Dr. Leach to show this celebrated natui'alist 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, &o. 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 satiirnalia that we lingered tob 

 long ; for when Capt. Murray Maxwell attempted to speak, we were glad to " duck our heads " to avoid 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, wo 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 in\-ited him to a dinner 

 at the Albion Tavern ; he was greatly pleased with what he called the almost royal magnificence of the 



