Henry L. Bruner 19 
enters the cranium through the caudal end of the great parietal fissure, 
which lies between the parietal bone and the dorsal margin of the 
prootic. Within the cranium the vein joins the vena cerebralis media close 
to the origin of the latter from the vena longitudinalis cerebri. 
Before it enters the cranial cavity the vena capitis dorsalis receives, 
from an anterior direction, a sinus-like vein, vena parietalis (v. par., Text 
Fig. 2), which lies external to the membrane which closes the parietal 
fissure. The vein is formed by the union of two tributaries, vena 
parietalis dorsalis and vena parietalis ventralis. The former is an en- 
larged vein which lies close to the cranial wall near the roof of the head. 
It begins near the level of the pineal body. The vena parietalis ventralis 
begins somewhat farther forward but is a smaller vein than the preceding. 
It runs caudad on the ventro-lateral aspect of the cartilaginous rod, 
tenia marginalis of Gaupp, oo, which hes in the cranial wall dorsal to 
the prootic bone. Anterior to the caudal end of that cartilage the two 
vene parietales unite, the trunk vein, vena parietalis, running caudad 
until it reaches the posterior margin of the parietal bone, where it unites 
with the vena capitis dorsalis. 
The vena capitis dorsalis is apparently referred to by Grosser and 
Brezina, 95, in their description of an adult Varanus arenarius, in which, 
however, the vein is said to discharge into the vena cerebralis posterior. 
In Lacerta agilis the vena capitis dorsalis has no such connection. 
2. VENA HYPOPHYSEOS (v. hy., Text Fig. 2).—The vena hypophyseos 
is a short paired vein which is formed behind the hypophysis by the 
forking of the vena infundibuli. From its origin the vein runs laterad 
and rostrad around the hypophysis until it reaches the anterior end of 
the basisphenoid bone, where the vein enters the vena cerebralis media 
secunda just above the junction of the latter with the vena jugularis 
interna. The chief tributary of the vene hypophyseos is the vena in- 
fundibult, a median vein which hes on the posterior aspect of the in- 
fundibulum. It is formed by the union of the right and left ven 
thalamencephali, which receive blood from the floor and lateral wall of 
the third ventricle. 
d. VENA TYMPANICA ANTERIOR. 
The vena tympanica anterior (v. t. a., Text Fig. 2) is an anastomotic 
vein which connects the vena jugularis interna and the vena mandibu- 
laris interna. It unites with the latter vein directly in front of the 
tympanum, where the vena mandibularis interna emerges from the 
mandible. From its origin the vena tympanica anterior runs dorsad 
