464 
ZOOLOGY OF 
distinction of these creatures, for while they call the 
former ‘‘ Jiboa,’’ the latter is the Sucuruju.” 
The largest specimens I met with myself were not 
more than from fifteen to twenty feet long, but I have 
had several accounts of their having been killed, and 
measured, of a length of thirty-two feet. They have 
been seen very much larger, but, as may be supposed, 
are then very difficult to kill or secure, owing to their 
tenacity of life and their aquatic habits. It is an undis- 
puted fact that they devour cattle and horses, and the 
general belief in the country is that they are sometimes 
from sixty to eighty feet long. 
Alligators of three or four distinct species abound in 
the Amazon, and in all its tributary streams. The smaller 
ones are eaten by the natives, the larger often devour 
them in retmm. In almost every village some persons 
may be seen maimed by these creatures, and many chil- 
dren are killed every year. The eggs of all the different 
kinds are eaten, though they have a very strong musky 
odour. The largest species {Jacare nigra) reaches a 
length of fifteen, or rarely of twenty feet. 
The most interesting and useful reptiles of the Amazon 
are however the various species of fresh-water turtles, 
which supply an abundance of wholesome food, and from 
whose eggs an excellent oil is made. The largest and 
most abundant of these is the Tataruga, or great turtle 
of the Amazon, the Jurara of the Indians. It grows to 
the length of three feet, and has an oval flattish shell of 
a dark colour and quite smooth; it abounds in all 
parts of the Amazon, and in most places is the common 
food of the inhabitants. 
