RUMINANT1A. 



513 



small. In (Egosceridae (g,fig- 335.) and Cer- pardalis they exhibit a slight concavity at the 

 vidae, for the most part, the ascending rarai in- upper margin. In this last, named genus the in- 

 cline at a very oblique angle, and in Camelo- termaxillary bones are very long and extremely 



Fig/333. 



Front view of the skull of an Ox, with the right horny sheath detached from the core. (From Lond. ' 



Coll. Surg. Museum.) 



attenuated at the tip (fig. 328.) ; in Bovidas, 

 on the other hand, they are of diminished 

 length (g, Jig. 327.), straight, of great thick- 

 ness and broad in front, giving to the muzzle 

 an aspect characteristic of the group (],Jig. 

 333.). The incisive openings are elongated, 

 capacious, and widely separated in the Giraffe 

 (Jig. 328.), they are still more so in the Stags 

 (fig, 329) and Antelopes (fig. 342.) ; and in 

 (Egosceridae and Bovidae they form enormous 

 clefts, especially in the latter {fig. 3.33.). 

 Several genera have a small free space be- 

 tween the converging points of the inter- 

 maxillaries; and this is particularly noticeable 

 in the Giraffe (fig. 328). The bones in 

 question are of great length in the Eland or 

 Cape Elk, and in the Moose-deer. 



The maxillaries (2) usually carry six 

 molars and premolars on either side ; excep- 

 tions, however, occur in the Camelidas where 

 one of the premolars is absent, and in this 

 family, as also in the aberrant genus Moschus 

 and in the male Cervus Muntjac, canines are 

 developed (a, Jig. 331.). In all ruminants 

 they send processes of greater or less extent 

 to the inner and under part of the orbit, in 

 the situation where these bones lie partly 

 concealed by the jugular or malar bone. As 

 regards the bones themselves there are few 

 other peculiarities worthy of notice ; but we 

 may remark, in passing, that in the Giraffe 

 the maxillaries project more than two inches 

 beyond the tips of the nasals. The sub- 

 orbital foramina (6) are placed in the Came- 

 lidae a little before the orbits and above the 

 alveolar ridge, at a point corresponding with 

 the line of juxta-position of the middle and 

 third premolars (fig. 334.). In the Giraffe 

 and in other Cervidae the infra-orbital aperture 

 is seen further forward, on a level with the 

 Sitpp. 



first premolar : in (Egosceridae it is on a line 

 with the second (h, Jig. 335.). The Bovidae 

 have a long suborbital canal opening above 

 the first premolar (h', fig. 327.), as in the 



Stags and Giraffe. 



Fig. 334. 



Lateral view of the skull of the Camel. (From a spe- 

 cimen in Lond. Coll. Surg. Museum.) 



The lachrymals (3) are directed forward, 

 and occupy a considerable extent of the 

 cheek ; at their point of union with the 

 frontal, nasal, and intermaxillary bones there 

 is usually left a vacant space more or less 

 patent. This space in the true Camels is 

 stated to be of large dimensions ; but, out of 

 four crania we have examined in reference to 

 this particular, in one only was this opening 

 distinctly visible ; in the others the extension 

 of the periosteum, which closes the cavity in 

 front, had ossified, leaving only a few small 

 foramina, irregularly disposed. In the Llama 

 the opening is significant and communicates 

 with numerous sinuses. In regard to the 

 true lachrymal passage in Camelidae this is 

 represented externally by a single foramen 

 placed directly behind the orbitar ring; but 

 there is in the Camels a second hole which 



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