A DESCRIPTION OF SOME TASMANIAN SKULLS SMITH. 17 



parietal. The maximum transverse diameter, 122 mm., is at 

 the parietal eminences. The asterionic diameter is 113 mm., 

 but the diameter at the most prominent jiart of tlie posterior 

 inferior angles, where the parietals articulate with the 

 mastoids, is 115 mm. The Stephanie diameter is 97 mm. The 

 zygomatic arches stand out prominently when the skull is 

 viewed from above the vertex at a distance of a metre from 

 the eye. There is only one parietal foramen. It is on the 

 left side, and is of medium size. The suprainial occipital 

 squama bulges considerably ; the infrainial portion is very 

 flat. 



Noiiiia lateralis. — (PI. viii., fig. 2). The forehead is fairly 

 rounded. The glabella and superciliary ridges are distinctly 

 marked and confluent, and the ridge on the right side is con- 

 tinuous with the super-orbital border (which is marked by a 

 supra-orbital notch), while on the left side the ridge is im- 

 perfectly marked off from the boi-der by a slight groove in which 

 is the supra-orbital foramen. There may thus be said to be a 

 continuous torus supra-orbitalis on both sides. The trigonum 

 on each side is distinct and is slightly rounded, and the 

 external orbital processes are thick. The supra-orbital 

 depressions are shallow. The nasion is only slightly depressed ; 

 the internasal suture, measured in a sti'aight line, is 17 mm. 

 long ; both nasal bones are of equal width, and measure 7 mm. 

 at their lowest part. The profile outline of the nose is 

 concave, but not greatly so, and the nasal bones form a slight 

 ridge at their sutural junction. The parietal longitudinal 

 arc is the longest, and the frontal and occipital arcs are almost 

 equal in length. The mastoids are not well developed, and 

 the skull rests behind on the posterior margin of the foramen 

 magnum. On the left side there is a large epipteric bone ; 

 on the right side there are two. On each side a wedged-shaped 

 wormian bone in inserted between the mastoid and squamous 

 portions of the temporal bone. It may be noted here that on 

 the right side there is a small wormian bone at the inner end 

 of the horizontal suture, between the superior maxilla and 

 the malar, posteriorly. The alisphenoid, at its narrowest 

 part on both sides, measures 12 mm. Its outer surface is 

 concave, but not deeply so. There is no vertical ridge at the 

 junction of this bone with the malar on either side ; but on 

 both sides there is a vertical ridge on the temporal bone, from 

 4 to 6 mm. behind the spheno-temporal suture. 



