IX.] OF THE DOG. 119 



long narrow nasals {No) pointed behind, and widening and 

 obliquely truncated in front to form the upper border of 

 the narial aperture; on each side by the maxillae {Mx), 

 having near the middle of their surface the large infraorbital 

 foramen {io), through which the terminal branches of the 

 second division of the fifth or sensory nerve of the face pass 

 to be distributed to the upper lip and whiskers ; and quite 

 anteriorly by the premaxill^ {PMx), which complete the 

 boundaries of the nares, and send up narrow processes 

 between the nasals and maxillae, towards, though not meet- 

 ing with, similar processes which nm from the frontals. 



The inferior surface of the skull (Fig. 47) is formed 

 anteriorly by the nearly flat, elongated surface of the palate, 

 narrower in front than behind, composed anteriorly of the 

 premaxillae {PMx) ; then of the maxillae (J/jc), which diverge 

 posteriorly and allow the palatines {PI) which form the 

 hinder border to reach in the middle line almost to the centre 

 of the palatal surface. In front and at the sides this surface 

 is bounded by the alveolar borders of the premaxillse and 

 maxillae, in which the teeth are set. Anteriorly are two con- 

 siderable oval foramina {(tpf), placed longitudinally very near 

 the middle line, formed mainly in the premaxilloe, though 

 their boundary is completed posteriorly by the maxilL^ ; 

 these are the anterior palatine foramina. The naso-palatine 

 nerve descends through them to spread over the anterior 

 surface of the soft palate. Not far from tlie hinder border of 

 the palate, and more distant from the middle line, near the 

 suture between the maxilla and palatine, are several much 

 smaller foramina (posterior palatine), 3\so for the transmission 

 of branches of the fifth nerve and blood vessels. 



The truncated median part of the hinder edge of the palate 

 forms the lower margin of the posterior narial aperture. 

 I>aterally, the palate bones are continued backwards as 



