348 JAMES ROLLIN SLONAKER 
The presternum is not only greatly elongated, but very much 
broadened into a strong ventrally projecting keel (fig. 15, K), 
giving a larger surface for the origin of the powerful pectoral 
muscles. In front the presternum widens into a blunt T-like 
end, 3.4 mm. wide, to which is attached the very much reduced 
episternum (fig. 16, Hp st).. According to Gegenbaur (’64) and 
Gotte (’77), the episternum forms the articular surfaces for the 
clavicles. The dorsal edge of the presternum is expanded later- 
ally into wing-like projections (w) extending from near the anterior 
end to the place of attachment of the first pair of ribs, 4 mm. 
from the posterior end. At the place of greatest extension they 
have a total width of 2.9 mm. ‘This provides increased surface 
for attachment of the pectoral muscles as well as increasing the 
strength of the presternum for lateral strain. The second pair 
of ribs joins the sternum at the junction of the presternum with the 
first mesosternal bone. The sternebrae of the mesosternum have 
a uniform width of 1.9mm. The third pair of ribs joins at the 
junction of the first and second sternebrae; the fourth pair at the 
junction of the second and third sternebrae; the fifth pair joins 
near the middle, and the sixth pair near the posterior end of the 
third sternebra. The seventh and last pair of ribs, which directly 
joins the sternum, is attached at the junction of the last meso- 
sternal bone with the xiphisternum. The points of attachment 
of the fifth and six pair of ribs doubtless indicate the places of 
division of the mesosternal bone in Talpa europaea. 
The scapula is very much elongated as compared with the 
ordinary mammalian type. It is 25.5 mm. long and somewhat 
cylindrical. According to Huxley (’90), it is as long as the com- 
bined lengths of the humerus and radius. I do not find this the 
case in Scalops and Scapanus. Bronn states that the scapula of 
Talpa is shorter than that of Scalops, having a ratio of 23:25. At 
the posterior end it is expanded 5.7 mm. in a horizontal and 4 
mm. in a vertical direction. A deep groove, bounded on either 
side by a sharp crest or ridge of bone, extends on the dorsal sur- 
face from the posterior end to near the middle. This greatly 
increases the surface for the attachment of muscles. True (’97) 
states that there is a prominent tubercle at the distal end of the 
