of the Capybara. 469 



the entrance of any part of the food into the larynx and trachea. 

 It will be further seen that the membrane of the velum is so 

 closely united with the epiglottis as to render it impossible to 

 admit the projection backwards of the one, without the com- 

 plete closure of the rima glottidis from the depression of the 

 other, thus affording an additional protection for the entrance 

 to the air passages. 



The principal use, however, in the peculiar form of the 

 velum palati, which I have described, appears to me to have 

 reference to the digestive organs, and to be confined almost 

 entirely to the process of deglutition. 



EXPLANATION of the PLATES. 



Tab. XXVII. 

 Fig. 1. Stomach. Fig. 2. Caecum. 



Tab. XXVIIL 

 Head ; — the lower jaw, dislocated on one side, to show a sec- 

 tion of the mouth ; b, pharynx, and a, funnel-shaped velum palati. 



Tab. XXIX. 

 a. Root of the tongue, cut through to show the anterior mus- 

 cular pillars of the velum palati, b. 



Tab. XXX. 

 Fig. 1. Posterior view of the muscles of the velum palati; a, 

 sphincter muscle of the funnel ; b, posterior muscular 

 pillars. 



2. Os hyoides. 



3. Connection of the epiglottis with the membrane of the 



velum palati ; a, epiglottis. 



XXVI. Notice 



