SKULL OF RABBIT 



791 



PMX 

 PA.PMX 



The squamosals form a great part of the posterior side walls of the skull, 

 and articulate with the panetals, frontals, orbitosphenoids, and 

 alisphenoids. At the posterior end of the zygomatic arch is the 

 longitudinally elongated glenoid fossa in which the mandible moves 

 backwards and forwards. 



In connection with the 

 floor of the skull and the 

 roof of the mouth, there lie 

 from behind forwards the 

 following components : — 

 The median basioccipital ; 

 the median basisphenoid, 

 which lodges the pituitary 

 body in a dorsal depression 

 called the sella turcica ; the 

 paired alisphenoids fused 

 to the sides of the basi- 

 sphenoid ; the median pre- 

 sphenoid, which forms the 

 lower margin of the optic 

 foramen between the two 

 orbits ; the paired orbito- p- 

 sphenoids, fused to the 

 presphenoid, sutured to the qj= 

 alisphenoids and s^wawosa/s, 

 and surrounding the optic 

 foramen; the vertical ^^^ry- 

 goids attached at the junc- 

 tion of basisphenoid and 

 alisphenoids ; the partly 

 vertical palatines, united 

 above to the presphenoid 

 and behind to the pterygoids 

 and ahsphenoids, separat- 

 ing the posterior nasal 

 passages from the orbits, 

 and uniting to a slight 

 extent in front to form the 

 posterior part of the bony 

 palate ; the median vertical 

 mesethmoid cartilage ex 



!0 



PAK.OCC 



Fig. 



474. — Under surface of rabbit's 

 skull. 



tending in front of the 



Inc. I., First incisors ; Inc. II., second in- 

 cisors ; PMX., premaxilla; PA. PMX., 

 palatal process of premaxilla ; MX., 

 maxilla; PAL., palatine; Z., zygomatic 

 arch ; BS., basisphenoid ; /., posterior part 

 of jugal ; BO., basioccipital; PAR.OCC, 

 paroccipital process of exoccipital ; SOC, 

 supraoccipttal ; C, one of the condyles ; 

 A.M., external auditory meatus; T.B., 

 tympanic bulla ; G.F., glenoid fossa ; 

 PT., pterygoid. 



presphenoid, separating the 

 two nasal cavities, posteri- 

 orlv ossified and expanded 



into the sieve-like cribriform plates through the apertures of which 

 the branches of the olfactory nerves pass to the nose ; the paired 

 vomers along the ventral edge of the mesethmoid ; and lastly, the 

 anterior bony palate (formed from inward extensions of maxillce and 

 premaxillcB), which in the rabbit is very incomplete. 



Wedged in between the occipitals, the squamosals, and the bones ol 



