ALLIGATORS. 1 37 



before, so that afterwards those swimming in the river, or even 

 bathing on its banks, were exposed to imminent danger." 



Natives of Africa shoot the Crocodile, or attack it with a barbed 

 javelin, which is thrown by hand, and aimed at the fore-shoulder. 

 Some Egyptians are reported to be daring enough to swim under the 

 Crocodile, and pierce him in the belly with a dagger. The negroes 

 of Senegal are said to be equally expert. If they surprise the animals 

 in parts of the river where there is not sufficient water for them to 

 swim, they attack the monster with a lance, commencing the assault 

 by aiming with their weapon at their enemy's eyes and throat ; then 

 they thrust their arm, encased in leather, into its mouth, hold it open 

 till their enemy is either suffocated or expires under its wounds. 

 Traps are also employed successfully for their destruction. In Egypt 

 the natives dig a deep hole in the ordinary route of the Crocodile, 

 which is easily discovered by the trail they leave in the sand — this 

 is covered with branches and earth, which falls in when trodden 

 upon ; the captive is then killed, often with the most brutal cruelty. 

 At other times a thick cord is attached to a tree, at the other end of 

 which a lamb is held by a hook. The cries of the lamb attract the 

 Crocodile, which, in its attempt to carry off the bait, is taken. 



Still another method for the destruction of these repulsive-looking 

 creatures has been adopted by Englishmen in India. A dead animal 

 is procured, in its abdomen is placed a loaded shell, to which is 

 attached a wire made fast to an electric battery ; when the bait has 

 been seized and carried to the bottom, the shell is exploded, and 

 invariably maims or kills the crocodile. 



The Gavials have long narrow cylindrical muzzles, slightly 

 inflated at the extremity ; the teeth are almost the same, both in 

 number and shape, on each jaw, the two first and the fourth of the 

 lower jaw pass into notches or indentations in the upper jaw j the 

 hind legs are dentated and palmated. The Gavials are chiefly 

 remarkable for their long head, its type being the Gavial of the Ganges. 

 It is of a deep watery green colour, having on the upper part nume- 

 rous irregular brown spots ; in the young, the back and limbs are 

 transversely banded with black ; the lower part is of a pale whitish 

 yellow ; the jaws are marked with brown, the claws are of a clear horn 

 colour. This species is not so carnivorous as the others, and is con- 

 sequently less dreaded. 



The Gavial of the Ganges (G. gangeticus) is supposed to be the 

 largest of the existing Saurians ; its length, as given by Dumeril, is 

 seventeen feet four inches.* 



* This length is frequently exceeded. 



