104 MORPHOLOGICAL TYPES 



between the parietal, supratemporal, squamosal, postorbital, 

 and postfrontal. In Lacerta this fossa is covered over by the 

 osteoscutes mentioned above. This is not the case in Varanus, 

 a form related to Lacerta, and in which the relations of the 

 temporal fossa may be conveniently studied. There is a 

 postorbital bar formed from the postfrontal, postorbital, and 

 jugal, separating the orbit from the temporal fossa ; and a 

 horizontal temporal bar formed by the postorbital and squa- 

 mosal, forming the lower border of the temporal fossa. (It 



Fig. 48. — Varanus : view of the skull from behind. 



bo, basioccipital ; bp, basipterygoid process of basisphenoid ; bs, basi- 

 sphenoid ; fm, foramen magnum ; p, parietal ; pf, post-temporal fossa ; 

 pp, paroccipital process (opisthotic and exoccipital) ; pt , pterygoid ; q, quad- 

 rate ; s, supratemporal ; so, supraoccipital. 



should be mentioned that there remains an element of doubt 

 concerning the homologies of the bones here called supra- 

 temporal and squamosal. See p. 440.) On the floor of the 

 nasal capsules are the septomaxillaries, which overlie Jacob- 

 son's organs. 



The quadrate abuts against the fused opisthotic and exoc- 

 cipital which form the paroccipital process. The quadrate also 

 articulates by a loose joint with the pterygoid, and is movable 

 relatively to the squamosal and brain-case (a condition known 



