150 



SKELETON. 



corresponding in situation with the garlands worn by the an- 

 cients, begins at the sphenoid bone, about an inch and a quarter 

 behind the external angular process of the os frontis. It in- 

 clines so much backwards in its ascent, that when we stand 

 erect, with the head in its easiest position, a vertical line, 

 dropped from its point of union with the sagittal suture, would 

 pass through the centre of the base of the cranium, and would 

 cut another line drawn from one meatus auditorius externus to 

 the other. It unites the frontal bone to the two parietal. 



The Sagittal Suture (Sutura Sagiltalis) unites the upper mar- 

 gins of the two parietal bones, and is immediately over the divi- 

 sion between the hemispheres of the cerebrum. It has been 

 stated in the account of the os frontis, that sometimes it is con- 

 tinued through the middle of this bone down to the root of the 

 nose. 



The Lambdoidal Suture (Sutura Lambdaformis) is named 

 from its resemblance to the Greek letter lambda, and consists 

 of two long legs united angularly. It begins at the posterior 

 termination of the sagittal suture, and continues down to the 

 base of the cranium, as far as the jugular eminences of the occi- 

 pital bone. Its upper half unites the occipital to the parietal 

 bones, and the lower half the occipital to the temporal bones. 

 The latter half is sometimes called the Additamentum Suturae 

 Lambdoides, 



The Squamous Suture (Sutura Squamosa] is placed on the 

 side of the head, and unites the parietal to the temporal bone. 

 The convex semicircular edge of the latter overlaps the concave 

 edge of the former. The squamous suture is converted into the 

 common serrated one, where the upper edge of the angle of the 

 temporal bone joins the parietal. This portion is called the Ad- 

 ditamentum Suturse Squamosae. 



The squamous mode of suture unites, likewise, the great wing 

 of the sphenoidal to the temporal angle of the parietal. 



In the upper part of the lambdoidal suture, particularly, we 

 find in many skulls one or more small bones, connected to the 

 parietal and occipital hones by serrated margins. They are 



