32 THE TONER LECTURES. 



atal bone and the vaginal process. The surface in front of this 

 ridge divides the region of the sphenoid base into two portions; 

 that in front of the crest is nasal and that back of the crest is pha- 

 ryngeal. The relative size of the nasal and pharyngeal spaces is 

 variable. In 47 examples the nasal part equalled the posterior in 

 extent. In 15 examples' the nasal part equalled two-thirds of the 

 entire region. In one specimen (No. 956} the nasal portion was 

 little less than oae-half. In 971, 973, 974 (Negroes w'ithout local- 

 ity), the nasal portion was one-third. It equalled one-fourth to 

 one-fifth of the whole. In a fourth Negro (No. 983) the nasal 

 portion was one-third on the left side and one-fourth on the right. 



THE KEGION OF THE SPHENO-TURBINALS. 

 In instances of absence of union of the sphenoidal process of the 

 palatal bone with the vomerine ala in adult crania, the posterior 

 end of the conch is seen lying upon the base of the sphenoid bone. 

 In the skull of a male Australian in the American Museum of 

 Natural History I have seen this process extend back to the suture 

 between the defective sphenoidal process of the palatal bone and 

 the vomer. I have in several instances seen the same disposition 

 in the skull of the adult gorilla. 



An adult Esquimaux cranium, Army Medical Museum, exhibits 

 the conchs entirely free from the sphenoid bone posteriorly, and 

 the suture, which united them to the palatals, open. 



Is it not a tenable hypothesis that many of the unusual disposi- 

 tions of the canales basis vomeres may be correlated with delayed 

 union of the sphenoidal conchs? Is it not probably true that the 

 defects of union between the vaginal and sphenoidal process and 

 the vomer are associated with exceptionally large or numerous veins 

 between the body of the s»phenoid bone and the processes named ? 

 If this be conceded, but one step more is required to be taken to 

 explain the frequency of congestions and hyperplasise in the nasal 



1975, 926, 1093, 913, 972, 928, 648, 433, 978, 916, negroes without locality; 

 648, negro of Liberia; 423, negro of Mozambique; 707, Seminole; 1063, 

 1064, German. 



