170 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



unfamiliar object with great attention. A pet grey- 

 breasted parraquet (Myopsittacus), which is allowed to 

 wander up and down the bars of my crocodilians' tank, 

 attracts considerable notice. It is probable that the 

 motive is less the gratification of idle curiosity than of 

 more sanguinary desires. The alligators raise their heads 

 well above the water and follow the bird's movements 

 keenly, at times making futile jumps in its direction. On 

 one occasion " Polly " was outside the bars near the water, 

 when the smaller one — a specimen thirteen inches long — 

 sprang towards the w T ires with mouth wide open and eyes 

 gleaming. Polly retreated hastily. One specimen, in 

 particular, shews a marked antipathy to the bird. 



They quickly get to know their keeper, and come to 

 the side of the tank wdien food is presented ; in fact, when 

 hungry, they keep repeating their cries with mouths open 

 until fed. 



There are three species of alligators, the Mississippi, 

 the Chinese, and one other (A. helois), about which 

 practically nothing is known. The Chinese is not often 

 seen over here. Alligators range over North America and 

 China, and reach a length of six or eight feet. 



There are eleven species of crocodiles, and their range 

 is much more extensive than that of alligators or caimans. 

 They are found in Africa, America, Australia, and 

 Southern Asia. Three of these are long snouted, heading 

 the list in the West African " Cataphractus." Four have 

 a snout of medium length, C. niloticus and C. americatius, 

 and the remaining species are short snouted. The 

 long snouted West African crocodile (C. cataplir actus) 

 ranges from the Senegal to the Gaboon (Boulenger), and, 

 judging from statements made by seafaring men trading 

 at African ports, it is fairly common at Old Calabar. In 

 spite of this fact, it is not frequently imported. The 



