144. EDWARD L. RICE 
describes the septa semicircularia as very vestigial, so that 
cartilaginous semicircular ‘canals’ can scarcely be said to exist. 
Vipera (Peyer, 712) is seemingly essentially like Lacerta and 
Eumeces. 
4. Foramina of otic region 
In the otic region and on its borders are a number of nerve 
foramina and other openings which may well be considered to- 
gether—fenestra prootica, facialis foramen, anterior and posterior 
acusticus foramina, foramen endolymphaticum, fenestra vestib- 
uli, fenestra cochleae, and fissura metotica. In addition may 
be mentioned certain ‘holes’ (‘Liicken’ of Gaupp) due merely 
to retarded chondrification. Most of these openings have been 
mentioned above, but several require more extended discussion 
and comparison. 
Fenestra prootica (fig. 33, fen.pr-ot.). The fenestra prootica, 
bounding the otic capsule anteriorly, is better discussed with 
the temporal region (p. 179). 
Facialis foramen (figs. 7 and 8, f.n.VII.). The changed form 
of the line of union of the otic capsule with the basal plate and 
the changed position of the facialis foramen, as compared with 
Lacerta, have been mentioned briefly, but. must be considered 
further. In both forms the otic capsule and basal plate are con- 
tinuously fused from the fissura metotica to the fenestra prootica, 
save for the interruption by the facialis foramen, which divides a 
‘prefacial’ from a ‘postfacial basicapsular commissure’ (Gaupp). 
The prefacial connection in Eumeces differs in no essential point 
from that of Lacerta—a simple line of junction of the basal plate 
with the otic capsule (mainly the prominentia recessus utriculi) 
anterior to the acusticus foramina, dorsolateral rather than an- 
terior with reference to the facialis foramen itself. The entire 
line of contact of otic capsule and basal plate from the facialis 
foramen to the fissura metotica must be interpreted as belonging 
to the postfacial commissure of Gaupp; but here Lacerta and 
EKumeces differ startlingly. Gaupp (’00, p. 446) writes of Lacerta: 
‘‘Lings der ausgedehnteren postfacialen basikapsuliren Ver- 
