20 THE STRUCTURE OF THE FOWL 



two bones do not, however, meet in the middle 

 hne, with the result that the palate presents 

 a cleft in this position. The nasal bones are 

 thin plates, and are notched at the anterior 

 end by the opening into the nasal chamber. 

 It should be noticed that these bones, because 

 of their thinness, ai^e pliable and are not rigidly 

 joined to the frontals. The two incisive bones, 

 which form the bony basis of the beak, are 

 blended into one before the time of hatching. 

 They partly circumscribe the openings into 

 the nose and have a process insinuated between 

 the two nasal bones. A very thin and 

 elongated zygomatic bone is composed of an 

 anterior jugal bone and a posterior quadrato- 

 jugal. It forms a connecting link between 

 the face and the cranium on each side of the 

 skull and articulates posteriorly with the 

 quadrate. Forming part of the margin of 

 each orbit is a small lachrymal bone. Two 

 palatine bones bound the posterior aperture of 

 the nasal chambers, and are connected with 

 the maxillae and pterygoid bones. They unite 

 in the middle line. A strong, rod-like pterygoid 

 bone articulates medially with the sphenoid 

 and laterally with the quadrate. Separating 

 the two nasal chambers is a very slender 



