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Show 622 MR. STANLEY S. FLOWER ON THE [May 16, The colours, in life, of this Bangpakong turtle were: above dark olive-green, with pale olive-green markings, and a broad pale yellow margin to dorsal leather-shield (except in front); underneath it was pale yellow and buff immaculate. Five pale longitudinal lines on the neck. Iris golden. Hab. Ganges, Burma, China, Siam, Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Philippines. Order EMYDOSAURIA. Family CROCODILIDCE. Siamese. " Takhay." Malay. " Buaya." H. J. Kelsall (J. S. B. R. A. S. no. 26, 1894, p. 8) says that Crocodiles are said to occur in the Kahang river, in the interior of Johore, and are called " bagin " by the Jakuns, both on ordinary occasions (p. 55) and when using the Camphor1 language (p. 47). The Malays tell me there are two sorts of Crocodile in the Kedah river-the usual one (C. porosus), which grows to a great length, and is of comparatively slender build, and a rarer one, which does not usually grow long, but is very bulky; one of this sort was killed near Alor Star on the 24th May, 1898, which was about 4*26 metres (14 feet) long; I arrived at tbe place next day, but was, unfortunately, too late to see the body ; possibly this may be Crocodilus palustris. 24. TOMISTOMA SCHLEGELI (S. Midler). Tomistoma schlegelii, Blgr. Cat. Chel. etc. p. 276 ; Blgr. P. Z. S. 1896, p. 628. " Buaya jinjulong " of the Selangor Malays according to A. L. Butler, and of the Perak Malays according to L. Wray. The Malay Gharial is now known to occur in the States of Perak and Selangor, on the west coast, and of Pahang, ou the east coast of the Peninsula; it is apparently unknown in Kedah. Besides the specimens in the British and Taiping Museums, from the Perak river, I saw, in December 1896, two skins from the same river belonging to Captain H. C. Metcalfe, 58th Regt. In the Kuala Lumpor Museum there is a specimen from Kuala Selangor, 1895, given by the late Captain H. C. Syers. In August 1897 I saw a large skull, said to be from the Pahang river, belonging to Mr. J. H. Lindsay ; the gharial is said to have seized a dog swimming in the river, and to have been subsequently killed by the dog's master some miles up-stream from Pekan. Size. The Pulo Tiga specimen sent by Mr. Wray to the British Museum measured 2*64 metres (8 feet 9 inches). The British 1 The Jakuns, while on the search for camphor (Dryobalanops aromatica, Gaertn.), taboo their ordinary language, and use a special one; not only the men searching in the jungle, but also their families left in the villages conform to this ancient superstition. |