ORIGIX OF MONSTERS 501 



define any one of the conditions which it is meant to cover. 

 A similar objection must be made to the term 'semi-cyclopia' 

 (Clemmill, '12) for, the terata, which this term would define, 

 are of many kinds, and while gross-morphologically similar, they 

 mostly differ in important structural detail. It is also hardly 

 necessary to emphasize that the term 'hour-glass eye,' so com- 

 monly employed, is wholly unscientific, for it utterly lacks the 

 precision that is necessary to define a morphological condition. 



Fairly ser^dceable classifications of the various eye monsters 

 have been made by Vrohck ('49), Kundrat ('82) and Bock ('89). 

 However, these classifications being based on mammahan terata 

 and considering not only defects of the eye but also the corre- 

 lated defects of the nose and skull are lacking in precision (even 

 if applied to mammals only), and do not well lend themselves to 

 other vertebrates. A rational classification which would con- 

 sider the deformities of both these organs appears to be well- 

 nigh impossible. 



I have, therefore, attempted the following simple classification 

 of the teratophthalmic ('cyclopean') monsters with the con- 

 dition of single- or two-eyedness respectively as the only and 

 basic morphological criterion: 



-re. I ii 1 • fa- bilentica 



1. kSvnophthalmia \, ., 



[b. unileiitica. 



TT /-, 1 • AT wi 1 • T (^a. sj'nophthalmica. 



11. Cyclopia s. iMonophthalmia mediana \, r' 



•^ ^ ^ [b. perfecta. 



III. Monophthalmia asymmetrica (.s. lateralis) 



Under 'synophthalmia' will be classified cases of either more 

 or less approximated, closely approximated eyes, or eyes so fused 

 that the composite character of the organ is easily discernible 

 in toto. If such an optic organ should possess two symmetri- 

 cally placed lenses, the term 'synophthalmia bilentica' will be 

 applied, while, if' on more intimate fusion of the eye components 

 only one lens should be present, 'synopht.halmia unilentica' will 

 be used as the descriptive term. 



The term 'cyclopia' will be appUed where a single median eye 

 is present, which on examination in toto does not present the 

 appearance of a composite e>'e. If, however, such an eye on 



