THE CROCODILES OP CEYLON. 



161 



in a regular layer therein. " She then scrapes some sand, dry 

 leaves, grass, and mud over them, smoothes it, and deposits a second 

 layer upon them. These eggs are then covered in a similar manner 

 and another layer deposited, until the mother has laid from 50 to 

 60 eggs. Although they are hatched by the heat of the sun and 

 the decaying vegetable matter, the mother does not desert her young, 

 but leads them to the water and takes care of them, until their 

 limbs are sufficiently strong, and their scales sufficiently firm to 

 permit them to roam the water without assistance." 



It will be seen that the nest of the Crocodile of Ceylon differs 

 considerably from that of the Alligator as described by Mr. Wood. 

 In the former the eggs are placed at a height of at least two feet 

 above the surface of the water; and, although the nests in Ceylon 

 are principally composed of aquatic weeds in a wet state, which 

 might be expected to give out considerable heat in fermenting, yet 

 I do not believe that any artificial heat is required to hatch the 

 eggs, because several eggs, which were procured from the Bolgodde 

 nests, were hatched in my house, being merely deposited in earth 

 which was kept damp and exposed to the rays of the sun. 



While examining the nest that had been discovered by Mr. 

 Symonds, we were told by some natives who accompanied us, that 

 there was another nest, within a mile or two of the spot, which 

 had not yet been disturbed. 



On visiting this second nest, we found it in all respects very like 

 the first, except that it was not so large, and that, besides the trench 

 which surrounded it, there were one or two holes in the swamp in 

 which the natives said that the old Crocodile was accustomed to lie. 



Warned by the narrow escape which Mr. Symonds had when 

 examining the first nest, we approached very cautiously, expecting 

 an attack every moment, and when we were all assembled on the 

 edge of the trench surrounding the nest, we hesitated to cross it, 

 because it was when he was in the act of stepping across the trench, 

 that Mr. Symonds was first attacked by the other Crocodile, 

 which raised its formidable jaws directly beneath him, and would 

 no doubt have effectually put a stop to his proceedings, had he not 



Y 



