( 189 ) 



The Skull. — The skull (fig. 1) is most siniilai'to those of Meioaornis and Anoma- 

 lopteryx, but also seems to approach Emeus iu a few points. Looking at the occipital 

 surface the cranium will be seen to be somewhat depressed, and the general outline is 

 like that of the skull figured by Parker as that of Mesojjteryx sp. /3 (Trans. Zool. Soc. 

 Vol. XIII. pi. 52, fig. 53). The paroccipital proces.ses are very small and only slightly 

 convex from above downwards; their rounded lower angles scarcely extend below the 

 level of the occipital condyle. In Meiononiis casuannus these processes are large, 

 very convex from above downwards, and their acute lower angles extend down to the 

 level of the mammillary tuberosities ; in Anom(dopteryx and Emeus also they are 

 larger than in the pre.«ent species, but do not extend much, farther ventrally. The 

 occipital crest forms a prominent rounded ridge, and the anterior and posterior 

 lambdoidal ridges are separated by a very narrow interval only, as in Emeus ; in 



Fig. 1. — Skull of Megalaptert.\ texuipes Ltd. 

 A. from side. B. from behind. (§ natunal size.) 



Meionornls and Aiwmalopteri/x a considerable space is enclosed between the two 

 ridges. 



In consequence of the small size of the paroccipital processes the tympanic 

 cavity is very small, much smaller than in Aleionm^nis and Emeus; in A'liomalopteryx 

 parva they are also small, but their outline is sharply angulate instead of forming an 

 even curve as in the present specimen. 



The temporal fossae are very large and slope steeply backwards. Posteriorly 

 the temporal and lambdoidal ridges become confluent ; the inferior tem]ioral ridge 

 is well developed and terminates in a sharp pretympanic process. The ])Osterior 

 temporal ridge is confluent with the lower portion of the lambdoidal crest ; after 

 leaving this it runs downward and forward on to the zygomatic process in such a 

 way that only a very small area of the squamo.sal prominence is outside the limits 

 of the posttemporal fossa. In both Miionornis casvxirinus and Emeus the tem]ioral 



