894 THE OSTEOLOGY AND MYOLOGY OF THE DEATH ADDER, 



by HofFaiann, whose descriptions are however only paraphrases of 

 the fuller ones given by D'Alton. Cuvier, Home, Huebner, 

 Meckel, Duges, Duvernoy, Owen, R. Jones, Teutleben, have all 

 contributed something; Duvernoy particularly has given an 

 admirable description of the muscles of the head in many snakes. 



I have endeavoured in the case of each muscle to find its homo- 

 logue, and where I am doubtful I have retained the name by 

 w'hich the muscle is usually known. I have discarded the use of 

 compound descriptive titles where possible ; for I consider that 

 while they may convey a notion of the position of the muscle, 

 they are of little use if they do not at the same time throw light 

 upon the homology of the part. 



I have dissected several snakes for comparison, among them 

 being Pseudechis i^orphyriacus, Diemenia sujjerciliosa, Morelia 

 S2?ilotes, Daboia Russelli (.?).* In addition to these, several lizards, 

 Hinulia, Grammatophoraj (fee, and I made a special dissection of 

 a specimen of Hydrosaurus varius. For some points in connection 

 with the muscles of the head, I dissected a few birds, while in 

 addition to these I was constantly engaged in dissecting the human 

 body. Lastly I have dealt with the vertebrae and their various 

 movements, and have devoted considerable time to the study of 

 the mechanism of the jaws. 



Osteology. — Bones of the Skull. 



Os Parietale. 



Os Parietale^ D'Alton, Cuvier, Gegenbaur, Hallmann, Harting, 

 Hoffmann, Huxley, Meckel, Joh. Miiller, Owen, Parker, Parker, 

 and Bettany, Rathke, Stannius, Wiedersheim. 



The parietal consists of a horizontal and two lateral vertical 

 plates. The horizontal plate is an irregular octagon broader anteri- 

 orly than posteriorly. It consists of the two moieties of the 

 parietal that have coalesced alon^ the mid-line, but there is no sign 

 of a suture remaining. The anterior border is concave and bevelled 



* I am in some doubt if the snake dissected was a Daboia ; it was certainly 

 a viper. 



