32 ■ NOTE ON THE FOSSIL CROCODILE 



processes are broken and imperfect ; the dimensions of the barrel or cylin- 

 der are as follows : 



The measurements of the 3rd Lninhar Vertebra of the 

 existing Crocodile are here given. 



Existing Crocodile, 

 7 feet long. 



Fossil. 



Inches. 



Metres. 



Inches. 



Metres. 





1.4 



0.95 



0.036 

 0.024 



4.9 

 3.5 



0.124 

 0.089 



Breadth under transverse apophysis, taking a mean mea- 





Large as the fossil may appear, the animal to which it belonged did 

 not in all probability exceed 25 feet in length — whereas the Gangetic 

 Crocodile of the present day is said to arrive at the enormous length of 

 30 feet, and in the pages of the Calcutta Journal, an animal of 28 feet 

 long is recorded as having been killed by a gentleman of the Civil Service, 

 (I believe) now residing in Calcutta. 



T II E FOSSIL GHARIAL 



OF THE 



SIVALIK HILLS. 



Amongst the numerous remains of the Crocodilidean Saurians which have 

 been found in such abundance from the oolite up to the more recent strata, 

 it would appear that the greatest proportion has been allied to the Gharial* 

 and that the existing Crocodile and Cayman have been almost without 



* The French mode of writing this word, Gavial, appears to have originated in a misread- 

 ing of the manuscript of some naturalist ; the r and v being nearly similar ia form. As Gharial 

 is the correct native name, there seems no reason for perpetuating the misnomer.— Sec. 



