BY R. BROOM. 485 



gone under a variety of designations, I would propose the name 

 of Prevomer as more in harmony with the general terminology 

 than " Anterior Vomer," and also as Kitchen Parker evidently 

 regarded his " Anterior Paired Vomer " as an element quite 

 distinct from the palatine process of the premaxillary and only 

 exceptionally present in the mammalian skull. 



The following table gives the chief synonyms and homologies 

 of the Prevomer :— 



Prevomer (Broom) = Palatine process of premaxilla in mammalia generally, 

 rr Dumbbell-shaped bone, or Os paradoxum in Ornitho- 



rhynchus. 

 = Anterior vomer, in Ornithorhynchus (Wilson). 

 = Anterior paired vomer, in foetal Insectivora, dbc. 



(Parker) 

 = Prepalatine lobe of vomer, in Caiman (Howes) 

 = Vomer, in Lacertilia a,nd Ophidia {Owen, Parker, &c.) 



Further research may extend the homology to the " vomer " in 

 Amphibia and fishes, but this I have not had an opportunity of 

 ascertaining. 



In conclusion I must acknowledge my indebtedness to Prof. 

 Wilson for various kindnesses; to Messrs. Etheridge and Waite 

 of the Australian Museum for identifying for me the bat and 

 flying-fox examined; and to my father, Mr. John Broom, for 

 making abstracts of papers, not otherwise accessible to me. 



