14 SKELETON. 



by a round notch or a foramen. The posterior of the two, 

 called also pterygoid apophysis, is inclined over towards the 

 cavity of the nose. It is thin, and fits upon the under surface 

 of the body of the sphenoid bone, and upon the inner surface 

 of the internal base of the pterygoid process of the same. Its 

 upper edge touches the base of the vomer. The anterior pro- 

 cess is the orbitar portion of the palate bone. 



The orbitar portion or plate is longer than the pterygoid 

 apophysis, and is hollow and very irregular. It may be seen 

 in the posterior part of the orbit wedged in between the eth- 

 moid and maxillary bone. The portion of it which is there 

 seen, is the orbital face, and is triangular. On the side of the 

 ethmoid bone its cells are seen, which are completed by their 

 contiguity to the ethmoid and sphenoid. The cells, in young 

 subjects, are not always to be met with. The posterior face 

 of the orbitar portion is winding and looks towards the zygo- 

 matic fossa. 



The notch between the orbitar portion and the pterygoid 

 apophysis is converted into a foramen, by that part of the 

 body of the sphenoid bone which is immediately below the 

 opening of the sphenoid cell. Through this foramen, called 

 spheno-palatine, pass the lateral nasal nerve, the spheno-pala- 

 tine artery and vein. 



This bone can scarcely be studied advantageously except in 

 the separated head. A single application of it to the maxillary, 

 will then show how it extends from the palate of the mouth to 

 the orbit of the eye; and how it is the connecting bone be- 

 tween the maxillary bone and the pterygoid process of the 

 sphenoid. 



The palate bone articulates with six others. With the up- 

 per maxillary, the sphenoid, the ethmoid, the inferior spongy, 

 the vomer, and with its fellow. The places of junction have 

 been pointed out in the description of the bone. 



3. Nasal Bones, (Ossa Nasi, Os du Nez.) 

 The ossa nasi, two in number, fill up the vacancy between 



