312 Annals of the South African Museum. 



about twenty cervical and fifteen dorsal vertebra?, some imperfect 

 pterygoids for a short distance ; in front of this again the pterygoids 

 meet in the middle line for a short distance, and then are separated 

 by a narrow anterior inter-pterygoid vacuity (a.i. v.). Possibly they 

 may be in contact with one another again at their anterior ends. 

 The outer border of the posterior ramus in front of the union 

 beneath the basis cranii runs forwards and at first slightly outwards, 

 then turning outwards almost at right angles to form the posterior 

 border of the lateral ramus. The outer end of this joins the trans- 

 palatine bone (t.) which connects the pterygoid with the maxilla. The 

 flat anterior ramus of the pterygoid is broad posteriorly but narrows 

 towards its anterior end, where it joins the vomers (prevomers). On 

 its outer side it joins the palatine in a long oblique suture. 



The palatine (pal) is an elongated bone, the inner border of which, 

 as just described, unites in suture with the pterygoid. Anteriorly 

 the palatines converge, but do not seem to meet owing to the union 

 of the anterior ends of the pterygoids with the vomers ; at the same 

 time it should be noted that in this specimen the sutures are not 

 very distinct. The rounded anterior ends of the palatines unite 

 with the vomers, externally to these they join the palatine plates of 

 the maxilla, for a short distance behind which they are separated 

 from that bone by a narrow sub-orbital vacuity (s.o.v.), which is 

 closed posteriorly by the transpalatine bone (t.), with which the hinder 

 end of the palatine unites. The transpalatine bone (t.) is a triradiate 

 element, its outer side unites with the maxilla, its inner branch 

 underlies the outer end of the lateral ramus of the pterygoid, and its 

 anterior concave border is in contact with the palatine, its anterior 

 angle closing the sub-orbital vacuity (s.o.v.) posteriorly. 



The vomers (v.) (prevomers of Broom) are closely united with one 

 another in the middle line, the original suture between them being 

 only visible in their expanded posterior portion. The united bones 

 extend far forwards between the premaxillae, almost to the pits 

 occupied by the tips of the replacing teeth. Followed back to the 

 nares (i.n.), they widen gradually and are convex from side to side ; 

 at the nares they are again narrowed and the palatal surface becomes 

 flat. Behind the nares they widen out into a fan-like expansion, and, 

 as already mentioned, the suture between them is visible, and is 

 situated at the bottom of a median depression. In front of the 

 nares the vomers lie between the palatine plates of the premaxillae, 

 which extend back just to the anterior angle of the narial opening 

 (i.n.). Behind the nares they unite with the palatine plates of the 

 maxilla externally, internal to this with the palatines, and in the 



