MELES 345 



anteriorly, the widest portion opposite front of glenoid fossa, the 

 arch very slightly bowed upward. Anteorbital foramina rather 

 large, sub-circular in outline, their greatest diameter about half 

 that of orbit. Ventral profile of skull slightly concave througli- 

 out. Palate moderately wide, the distance between molars 

 contained about 2h times in distance from gnathion to level of 

 posterior edge of molar. Incisive foramina small, at level of 

 space between canine and /^, elongate pyriform in outline, the 

 minute median foramen a little behind middle. Posterior exten- 

 sion of palate about equal to distance between molars, and slightly 

 more than half that from molar to hamular. Mesopterygoid 



Fig. 69. 

 Meles tneles. x i. 



space shoi't and wide, its length only a little more than distance 

 between tips of hamulars. Auditory bull* slightly inflated, 

 irregularly triangular in outline, the meatus lying in angle formed 

 by the large, forward-projecting mastoid process. The surface is 

 irregular, with evident ridge near inner margin along crest of 

 most highly inflated region, this ridge often terminating anteriorly 

 in a bluntly pointed projection. Length of flattened portion 

 extending inward from meatus about equal to transverse diameter 

 of inflated portion of bulla, but the two regions not sharply 

 defined ; least distance between bullae about 1^ times diameter of 

 inflated portion ; paroccipital process short, triangular (not ridge- 

 like), its extreme base applied to posterior border of bulla. 



