204 FOSSIL REPTILES. 



11. Crocodilus cataphradus. 

 Nucha fasciis 4 osseis cataphracta, rostro productiore. 

 Habitat. 



*** LONGIROSTRES. 



Rostro cylindrico, elongato, plantis palmatis, 



12. Crocodilus gangeticus, 



Vertice et orbitis transversis. 



(Faujas. Hist Mont S, Petri, t 46.) 

 Habitat, in Gange fluvio. 



13. Crocodilus tenuirostris, 

 Vertice et orbitis angustioribas. 



{Faujas, loc. cit, t, 48. 

 Habitat, in Gange fluvio. 

 Num puUus praeced. ? 



It will now be necessary to enter into a few details respecting 

 the osteology of the living crocodiles. This was as imperfectly 

 known previously to the researches of M. Cuvier, as the osteology 

 of many of the large viviparous quadrupeds. It is not neces- 

 sary to trouble the reader with the labours of his predecessors ; 

 suffice it to say, that he came to the task provided with mate- 

 rials, the extent and value of which could scarcely be surpassed. 

 Nor, as he himself observes, is the greatest abundance of spe- 

 cimens superfluous in labours of this kind. It is necessary 

 to examine almost all the variations that the osteology of a 

 species can undergo in different individuals, before the naturalist 

 can venture to establish a new species on any isolated bones ; 

 on this account, it was the constant endeavour of this most 

 eminent contributor, to human knowledge, for many years, to 

 multiply, as much as possible, skeletons of all interesting 

 species, but more especially of those to which approximating 

 ones existed. 



We shall first proceed to the determination of the bones of 



