( 400 



into the nasal sepliini. The nasal capsule has a remarkable resem- 

 blance with that of the Primates; there is no trace of the double 

 tube form of other mammals. 



The two apertures for the olfactory ner\'es are botii simple, with- 

 ont any formation of cribrosa. 



This part of the future nasal root is relatively broad, which is 

 especially conspicuous with i-egard to the completed cranium. 



Basally the whole nasal capsule has a slit-shaped opening, i. e. 

 the bottom (lamina transversalis post, and ant.) is lacking, this being 

 also characteristic for man and partly for apes, with whom I still 

 found an indication of the bottom (Semnopithecus). About the yet 

 slightly developed conchae, the cartilages of Jaoobson, the alar car- 

 tilage enclosing the nasal entrance, nothing i)articular can be mentioned. 



Meckel's cartilage proceeds well developed as far as the point of 

 the chin and here has a continuous connection, without any trace 

 of a suture, with that of the other side. Rek hert's cartiUige jn'oceeds 

 continuously to the tongue bone. 



(3n the dermal bones I will not dwell here; besides the upper 

 squama of tiie occipital, resp. interparietal, all membrane-bones are 

 present; the annulus tympanicus is only 7., of a ring; frontal and 

 parietal extend as yet to such a small height that the top of the 

 skull is mostly covered with skin only. 



When we now survey the whole cranium, as sketched above, we 

 find two important characteristics. On one hand appears the exceed- 

 ingly close relationship of the developing cranium of Tarsius and 

 that of ape and man. In spite of clear specific peculiarities, it 

 evidently stands much nearer to these than to the other known 

 mammalian crania. This affords a new proof for the correctness of 

 Hubrecht's opinion as to the position of Tarsius in the system. 

 At the same time an investigation of the primordial cranium of 

 true Lemurs becomes necessary and promises important results. This 

 investigation will shortly follow. 



Secondly the resemblance between this type of skull and tliat of 

 Reptiles is striking; like the skull of monkeys, so that of Tarsius in 

 its cartilaginous stage, pleads unmistakably for unity of plan and 

 origin of the Reptilian and Mammalian skull (cf. Gaupp's various 

 articles). In our case the position of the nasal capsule, the septum 

 interorbitale, a series of details in the arrangement of the foramina, 

 the cartilaginous straps, etc. point clearly in that direction. 



The study of each single form may in this way contribute to the 

 solution of the problem of phylogenesis. 



Freibury i B., October 1905. 



