THE SKELETON OF THE NEWT. SENSE CAPSULES. 143 



B, 10), which is widest behind and overlapped anteriorly 

 by the vomero-palatines. 



(2) THE SENSE CAPSULES. 



The auditory capsules become almost completely ossified 

 continuously with the exoccipitals ; they have been already 

 described. 



The nasal capsules are large and quite unossified though 

 they are overlain by membrane bone. They appear on the 

 dorsal surface between the anterior nares and the nasal process 

 of the premaxillae. They enclose the nasal organs, bound 

 the inner side of the anterior narial opening, and are con- 

 nected with one another posteriorly by a cartilaginous area. 



Developed in connection with the nasal capsules are a pair 

 of rather large nasals (fig. 21, A and C, 4), which lie on the 

 dorsal surface immediately in front of the frontals. Each 

 forms part of the posterior boundary of one of the anterior 

 nares, and the two are separated from one another in 

 the middle line by the nasal process of the premaxillae 

 (fig. 21, A, 1), and the opening of the middle narial passage 

 (tig. 21, A and B, 22), which passes right through the skull. 



On the ventral surface of the skull and forming the greater 

 part of the boundary of the posterior nares are two large 

 bones, the vomero-palatines (fig. 21, B and C, 9). Each consists 

 of a wide anterior portion, partly separated from its fellow in 

 the middle line by the ventral opening of the middle narial 

 passage, and of a long pointed posterior portion which is 

 separated from its fellow by the parasphenoid, and bears a row 

 of small pointed teeth formed of dentine capped with enamel. 



(3) THE JAWS. 



The upper jaw of the newt is a discontinuous structure 

 divided into two parts, an anterior part which consists of 

 membrane bones, the maxillae and premaxillae, and a posterior 

 part which remains mainly cartilaginous. 



The premaxillae are united, forming a single bone, which in 



