62 The Alligator and Its Allies 



The lachrymal (3) is a fairly large bone that forms 

 the anterior border of the orbit. It is bounded 

 laterally by the jugal, anteriorly by the maxilla, 

 and medially by the pref rentals. Its postero- 

 medial border is pierced by a large lachrymal 

 foramen that extends lengthwise through the bone 

 and opens, at its anterior end, into the nasal 

 chamber. 



The supraorbital, missing in the skull figured, is 

 a small bone lying in the eyelid close to the junction 

 of the frontal and prefrontal. Being unattached 

 it is usually absent from prepared skulls. 



The jugal or malar (5) is an elongated bone that 

 forms a part of the lateral border of the head, on 

 the one hand, and most of the lateral border of the 

 orbit on the other. Anteriorly it articulates with 

 the maxilla; medially with the lachrymal and 

 prefrontal; posteriorly with the quadratojugal, 

 and ventrally with the transpalatine. With the 

 transpalatine it sends, in a dorso-medial direction, 

 a process that meets the process, described above 

 in connection with the postf rental, to form the 

 postorbital bar. 



The quadratojugal (12) is a small bone, wedged in 

 between the jugal in front and the quadrate behind. 



The quadrate (8) is more irregular and has more 

 complicated articulations than almost any bone 

 in the skull. Its posterior end, which forms the 

 articular surface for the lower jaw, is elongated 

 laterally and slightly concave. Anteriorly the 



