THE HABITS OF MALAY REPTILES, 189 
CROCODILES. 
Crocodiles. , The common crocodile is Crocodilus porosus. Cantor 
mentions Ĉ. palustris, the Mugger of India, as occurring in 
` Penang, but as being less common than the other ki eut, 
lower has seen а young specimen from Singapore in the British 
us id Mr. Butler has got one in Selangor осо- 
dile is akan ты by its shorter and broader snout, егеу һу 
having five 1ее{һ in iis premaxilla, and not four only a the 
common ‘kind has. It seems also on the whole to bea palar 
animal, 
The common crocodile varies in colour, being sometimes 
black and Galles at others entirely black. The Malays consider 
the yellow variety as being the most dangerous. This species is 
islands. They sometimes leave the water and go for some dis- 
ken inland, apparent trying to get across from one river to 
nother. 1 saw one which had just been killed in a coffee нені 
аг the caves at Pee Lnmpur, where it had hee und 
ne 
wandering about among the coffee, at no great distance from : 
the river, however. Of the ferocity = t of this, onr most 
dangerous wild beast, there is no need to write, it is too well 
known; but [ will mention one пален concerning it. Some 
years ago, a Malay forest-guard was in a mangrove swamp at 
low tide, the water where he stood being only a foot deep, when 
a crocodile suddenly rose out of the mud on its hind legs and bit 
him on the elbow, The man tore his arm out of its mouth, an 
i rushed off. The Malays' theory on the subject was that the 
an was standing on or close to the animal's nest, but it seems 
manner, and that it should spring at his arm and not bite him . 
on the leg, which would be the nearest part to him. In captiv- 
ity the crocodile is rather a stupid animal, but a young one 
kept in the Gardens has learnt to come out of the water for a 
piece of meat when whistled to 
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