BEPTILES OF BRITISH UIRMA. ■ HI 



I am indebted to Gapt. Plant, Deputy Commissioner of Tliaiet- 

 mio, for this specimen. The animal had seized and destroyed a 

 man ; on which the Birmesc, after staking the mouth of the stream, 

 attacked it with their formidable knives, or " Dabs," completely 

 severing the spine at the nape and loins. The body Avas brought 

 into Thaiet-mio, and soon disappeared amongst the crowd, as the 

 Ilesh of crocodiles is highly esteemed in Birma as food. 



C. ponosus, Schn. 



Dorsal plates in eight rows. 



The coloration is much as in the last species ; but it is dis- 

 tinguishable at a glance, bj its much more elongate muzzle. It 

 is an extremely abundant species in Pegu and Tenasserim, but 

 less common in lower Bengal, as I infer from the few samples of 

 it in the As. Soc. Museum. It attains a length of about 30 feet ; 

 but individuals of this size are rare. The female is said to deposit 

 her eggs on sandy islands or the banks of rivers, and to guard 

 them jealously till hatched. The young are extremely fierce, and 

 bite with great severity, as their teeth are sharp as needles. 

 Accidents are far from rare ; and some spots have a bad reputa- 

 tion, probably from the depredations of some wary old stager, 

 since a very large animal will generally monopolize a wide district, 

 driving away or even devouring any of his own race who venture 

 within his territory. The breeding-season is in the rains, about 

 June (I am told) ; and at this season the larger animals are spe- 

 cially bold and dangerous, and will even attack passing boats. 

 Tiicut.-Col. Phayre informed mc of an old Karen chief, well known to 

 him, Avho was carried oil" by one of these animals in the Salwin river 

 near Maulmain, the animal rising close to the canoe, and sweeping 

 the Karen, who was its solo occupant, into the river with a blow 

 of its tail. The poor man not long before this had shovk'n Col. 

 Phayre a few pieces of pyrites rolled up in the corner of his 

 turban as a charm against Crocodiles. 



The late Dr. Morton, of Eangoon, told me of a somewhat similar 

 "case. A poor woman was lying asleep in the moonlight, in a 

 small fishing-canoe with a flush deck, when a crocodile was seen 

 to rise alongside and Avith one sweep of its tail upset her into the 

 Avater, and instantly disappear Avith her. 



Another instance occurred near Rangoon, where a woman was 

 seized and drowned by one of these animals in a stream not more 

 than 3 feet deep ; and when the body Avas recovered next day, one 



