The Skeleton 61 



two nasals form a narrow rod of bone that extends 

 across the anterior nares, and, meeting a projection 

 from the premaxillaries, divides the opening into 

 right and left halves. In the crocodile the nasals 

 project only a very little way into the nares; in 

 the caiman (according to Reynolds) they do not 

 extend into the nares at all, and in the gavial, whose 

 much elongated snout is mainly due to the great 

 length of the maxillaries, the nasals do not extend 

 more than a third of the distance from the pre- 

 frontals to the anterior nares. 



The maxilla (2) is a large bone that forms a large 

 part of the upper jaw and that holds most of the 

 teeth of that jaw. On the ventral side, as will be 

 described later, it articulates with its fellow in the 

 middle line, with the premaxilla, with the palatine, 

 and with the transpalatine. Dorsally it articulates 

 with the premaxilla in front; with the nasal and 

 pref rental on the medial side; and with the 

 lachrymal and jugal behind. 



The premaxilla (i) forms, with its fellow, the 

 extreme tip of the upper jaw. Each bone forms 

 the anterior and lateral borders of its half of the 

 anterior nares. It articulates medially with its 

 fellow and posteriorly with the nasal and maxilla. 

 Ventrally, as will be noted later, it bears five teeth 

 and articulates with its fellow medially and with 

 the maxilla posteriorly. Between the premaxilla 

 on the ventral side is the large anterior palatine 

 foramen. 



