38 
ROOM X. 
Nat. Hist. 
Ganges. There are to be observed young specimens 
of two of these species, the Hurum Trionyx (Trionyx 
hurum ), and the Punctated Trionyx [Trionyx puncia - 
tus ). The latter is peculiar for the leg being covered 
by a moveable flap placed on the sides of the chest 
when drawn up. 
The marine Tortoises or Turtles ( Chelonice ), are 
distinguished by their feet being compressed and fin 
shaped; they live principally on fuci and sea weeds. 
It is this kind of Tortoise which is most commonly 
used as food; and great quantities of one of the species 
[Test. Midas) are brought to this country for that pur¬ 
pose. The horny plates of the Imbricated Turtle 
( Test . bnbricata ) afford the best sort of tortoise shell. 
Over the mantel-piece is a large specimen of the Co¬ 
riaceous Turtle, caught on the coast of Dorsetshire. 
The Alligators, which are peculiar to America, are 
distinguished from the Crocodiles, which are found in 
both the old and the New World, by their feet having 
the toes free, that is, without webs, and by the canine 
tooth of the lower jaw being received in a pit in chat 
jaw, while in the Crocodiles, they are received in a 
notch on its margin. The Gavials agree with the 
Crocodiles in their teeth, but differ in their muzzle 
being very long and slender. Specimens of all the 
three genera are in the Collection. The upper jaw of 
these animals is generally said to be moveable, but this 
is an error, arising from the lower jaw being much 
produced posteriorly. 
Case 2 contains those Saurian Reptiles which have 
the tongue long and deeply forked; namely, the Mo¬ 
nitors of the Old World and its islands. Among these 
are the Two banded Monitor [Mon. bivittatus ) from 
India; the Laced Monitor [Mon. varius) from New 
Holland ; the Ornamented Monitor [Mon. ornatus ) from 
the Cape, and the Grey Ouran [Mon. scincus) from 
Egypt. All these specimens live near the water’s 
edge, and are venerated by the natives, who assert 
that 
