136 COUES ON THE OSTEOLOGY 



an inch long, projecting downwards and backwards from the under surface of the anterior 

 corner of the frontal. It forms the continuation of the anterior boundary of the orbit. It 

 projects downwards till it almost touches the malar bone, but is, however, quite uncon- 

 nected with this or any other bone of the face, and does not have the least motion with them, 

 being firmly anchylosed to the frontal. Besides forming the anterior continuation of the 

 orbit, it forms a very partial and defective outer wall to the posterior part of the nasal 

 passages. This bone, indeed, and the descending ramus of the nasal, are the only osseous 

 lateral boundaries of the nasal passages throughout their whole extent. 



Nasal. Firmly anchylosed basally with the root of the nasal process of the intermax- 

 illary ; movably articulated with the anterior border of the frontal. While its borders 

 cannot be accurately defined, in consequence of its complete fusion with the intermax- 

 illary, it sends downwards and forwards, at an acute angle, a conspicuous, stout, laterally 

 compressed process which anchyloses with the superior maxillary, — appearing to be a 

 direct continuation downwards of the intermaxillary. This process forms the posterior wall 

 of the osseous boundary of the aperture of the external nares ; forms with the lachrymal 

 the lateral osseous boundary of the nasal passages ; and connects the base of the nasal pro- 

 cess of the intermaxillary with the superior maxillary bone. 



Intermaxillary. This is by far the most important, as it is the largest and most con- 

 spicuous bone of the face ; its various modifications in different families and orders of birds 

 affording much the same data for zoological classification as do the teeth of the mammalia. 

 In this species it measures three and a quarter inches in total length. Its outline along the 

 culmen is slightly convex, especially terminally ; both the mandibular and lateral outlines 

 are a little concave. Distally, the bone consists of one piece, which is acutely pointed, 

 arched superiorly, inferiorly with a deep longitudinal excavation, the beginning of the palate. 

 About one and a half inches from the top it divides into three processes : a superior, mesial, 

 " nasal" process, much the largest, running backwards as an elevated ridge supporting the 

 culmen of the bill, anchylosed basally with the nasal bones and movably articulated with 

 the frontal ; and two lateral, basal, " mandibular " processes running along and forming the 

 continuation of the tomia of the upper mandible, and finally merging by anchylosis into 

 the superior maxillary, a little anterior to the zygomatic anchylosis. 



The recess formed laterally by the divergence of the nasal and mandibular processes 

 forms, with the nasal process of the nasal bone posteriorly, the large osseous boundary of 

 the aperture of the external nares. It is an inch and a quarter in length, by a third of an 

 inch high, sub-oval in shape, being narrow and compressed anteriorly. 



The divergence of the mandibular processes leaves on the palate a narrow longitudinal 

 opening, one fourth of an inch broad, covered with the lining membrane of the palate, 

 except at the posterior part where begins the opening of the posterior nares. The fissure 

 then becomes cleft in two by the vertically projecting vomer. 



Superior maxillary. This bone is of inconsiderable size. It is difficult to define its con- 

 tour with precision, as anteriorly it merges insensibly into the mandibular process of the 

 intermaxillary ; internally it is anclrylosed with the palatine ; superiorly the nasal bone 

 becomes fused with it ; while posteriorly it seems prolonged indefinitely into the long malar. 

 That part of it which chiefly maintains its separate identity consists of a horizontal plate 

 projecting directly inwards from the back and inner side of the bone towards the median 

 line of the skull. This plate stretches to within a tenth of an inch of its fellow, the 

 two being separated by the vomer, which passes between them. This represents the 



