228 The Alligator and Its Allies 
diameter was 50 mm.; the least short diameter 
was 38 mm. The average long diameter of these 
four hundred eggs was 73.74 mm.; the average short 
diameter was 42.59 mm. The average variation 
in the long axis of the eggs of any one nest was 
11.32 mm., more than twice the average variation 
in the short axis, which was 5.14mm. Norelation 
was noticed between the size and the number of 
eggs in any one nest. Ten eggs of average size 
weighed 812 grams—about 81 grams each. 
Voeltzkow (78) states that the form of the egg 
of the Madagascar crocodile is very variable. No 
two eggs in the same nest are exactly alike, some 
being elliptical, some ‘‘egg-shaped,’”’ and some 
“cylindrical with rounded ends.”” The average 
size is 68 mm. by 47 mm., shorter and thicker than 
the average alligator egg. 
When first laid, the eggs are pure white, and are 
quite slimy for a few hours, but they generally 
become stained after a time by the damp and 
decaying vegetation composing the nest in which 
they are closely packed. 
The shell is thicker and of a coarser texture than 
that of the hen’s egg. Being of a calcareous 
nature, it is easily dissolved in dilute acids. 
The shell membrane is in two not very distinct 
layers, the fibers of which, according to S. F. Clarke, 
are spirally wound around the egg at right angles to 
eachother. Noair-chamber, such as is found in the 
hen’s egg, is found in any stage in the development. 
