912 THE OSTEOLOGY AND MYOLOGY OP THE DEATH ADDER, 



The inferior surface is triangular in outline, the base of the 

 triangle being internal. The inner portion of this surface is very 

 slightly convex from before back, while the surface as a whole is 

 slightly concave from side to side. 



This bone shows at first sight a great difierence to the corres- 

 ponding bone of Morelia or any other python ; the chief difierence 

 is in connection with the maxilla. The bone in Morelia occupies 

 a more horizontal position, so that what was the anterior face of 

 the pedicle in Acanthophis becomes the superior here ; but, at the 

 same time, the superior face is curved down, so that it becomes 

 more or less antero-external, and it is the inferior border of this 

 antero-external moiety that corresponds to the articular surface of 

 the inferior horizontal plate in Acanthophis^ a process forming 

 the antero-lateral border of the orbit corresponding to the one 

 described above. The posterior face presents a difierence, in as 

 much as it sends down processes which are united to the palatine, 

 maxillary, and transverse bones by ligament. Owing to the 

 horizontal position the internal border of the superior plate comes 

 into contact with the nasals. The bones difier from those of 

 Pseiodechis and Daboia in the shape of the inferior horizontal 

 plate. In these forms the inferior plate is convex, and forms a 

 kind of ball and socket joint with the concave surface of the 

 maxilla below. 



Os Maxii-lare. 



Maxillare superius, D'Alton, Cuvier ; Maxillare, Gegenbaur, 

 Hofiinann, Huxley, Owen, Parker, Parker and Bettany, Wieders- 

 heim ; Oherkiefer, supra-maxillare, Harting, Meckel, Joh. Miiller, 

 Stannius. 



The maxilla is a crescent-shaped bone, convex externally, con- 

 cave internally, and longer from before backwards than from side 

 to side. 



The superior surface is semilunar in outline, much wider in 

 front than behind. Antero-internally it is slightly concave from 

 before back. The inferior surface forms the alveolar margin which 



