Guide to the galleries of reptiles and fishes in the Department of zoology of the British museum (Natural history) : Illustrated by 101 woodcuts and 1 plan.

  • British Museum (Natural History). Department of Zoology.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Guide to the galleries of reptiles and fishes in the Department of zoology of the British museum (Natural history) : Illustrated by 101 woodcuts and 1 plan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/134 (page 3)
    CROCODILES. naturalists of the last and preceding centuries, is guided by external appearance only, would without hesitation place the Crocodile and Lizard together, and associate the Slowworm with the Snake ; whilst a study of their internal structure shows the Lizard and the Slowworm to be most closely related to each other, and both nearer to the Snake than to the Crocodile. Reptiles are most abundant in hot climates, become less nume- rous in higher latitudes, and are altogether absent in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. In the Gallery— Wall-Cases 1-10 contain the Crocodilians. 11 }} Rhynchocephalians. }} 11-22 )} Lizards. }) 23-27 }> Snakes. }} 28-44 >} Tortoises and Turtles. Large specimens are exhibited separately on stands placed on the door of the Gallery. Order I. CROCODILIA. The Crocodilians differ in many anatomical characters from the Lacertilians, or true Lizards, with which they were formerly ^ associated on account of their external resemblance. The organs of their chest and abdomen are separated from each other by a muscular diaphragm; their heart is divided into four cavities, as in the higher vertebrates. The ribs are provided with two heads for the articulation with the vertebrae, and with processes directed backwards; and their abdomen is proteeted by a series of transverse bones, as may be seen in the skeleton of the large Cro- codile (CasfcE, opposite Wall-Case 5). The teeth are implanted in sockets, while in other recent Reptiles they are grown to the bone of the jaws. The tongue is completely adherent to the floor of the mouth. The nostrils are situated close together on the upper side of the extremity of the snout; the eyes and the ears likewise are near to the upper profile of the head, so that the animal can breathe, see, and hear whilst its body is immersed in the water, the upper part of the head only being raised above the surface. When it dives, the nostrils are closed by valves, a transparent membrane is drawn over [Cases -10.]