312 



1678. The skull of the Red-headed Vulture (Fultur ruficeps). Purchased. 



1079. The skeleton of the European Vulture (Vulturfulvus). 



Of the 20 vertebrae between the skull and sacrum, the four posterior bear moveable ribs, 

 the last three pairs of which articulate with the sternum : there are also two pairs of sacral 

 ribs, both of which join the sternum directly. The sternum presents two perforations poste- 

 riorly. 



Mus. South. 

 Genus Sarcoramphus. 



,"' ..:''":[ '; .' it ,:!:,:. ')' . r f ' ' i 



1(580. The skeleton of the King-Vulture (Sarcoramphus Papa). Mus. Brookes. 



1681. The cranium and fifteen consecutive vertebrae of a Vulture. 



The base of the beak has two small irregular perforations behind the external nostrils. The 

 nasal process of the premaxillary is bifid where it anchyloses with the frontal, and a longitu- 

 dinal cleft separates it on each side from the true nasal bones : these overlap the antorbital 

 processes of the frontal before they coalesce with that bone. The nasal process of the pre- 

 maxillary is supported by the upper platform of the coalesced prefrontals : these send down- 

 wards and outwards an angular antorbital process from each side, the base of which is per- 

 forated by the olfactory nerves, and developes a small bent plate of bone, answering to the 

 superior turbinal in Mammalia. The postfrontals are strong and moderately long : the mas- 

 toids are small, and behind these is a short tympanic process. A ligament passes from the 

 lower angle of the paroccipital to behind the articular cavity of the lower jaw. The cervical 

 vertebrae are broad : the first four short ; the next five of moderate length : from the last of 

 these the spinous process, which had almost disappeared on the four anterior ones, begins to 

 rise and progressively increases, assuming the form of a quadrate compressed plate in the last 

 two vertebrae. In these the pleurapophyses resume their moveable articulations : those of 

 the fourteenth vertebra are more slender and not longer than the preceding anchylosed pair ; 

 the next increases in length. None of the cervical vertebrae have hypapophyses after-the 

 third. The broad base of the neural arch, formed by extension of ossification from the ante- 

 rior to the posterior zygapophyses, is perforated in the third vertebra and deeply notched in the 

 fourth ; these lateral extensions of the neural arch cease to be developed in the succeeding 

 vertebrae. The extent to which the posterior expanded aperture of the neural arch slides over 

 the succeeding vertebra is shown well in the fifth, sixth and seventh cervicals by the smooth 

 surface and by the absence of ridges or processes on the anterior intus-suscepted portion of 

 the arch. It is bounded by two short lateral ridges, above and behind which are three other 

 ridges, all longitudinal, the middle one representing the spinous process. The infundibular 

 expansions of the two extremities of the spinal canal are well shown in these vertebrae, 

 which enjoy a great exteut of motion upon each other. 



Hunterian. 



1682. The four succeeding free vertebrae, with the sacrum, coccyx and pelvis of the 

 same Vulture. 



The extremities of the diapophyses and neural spines join each other by extension of ossi- 



