CARNIVORA VERTEBRAE. Ill 



The external auditory meatus and auditory bulla are large, the sense of hearing 

 in carnivora being very acute ; there are only diminutive hyoid, and styloid 

 processes. There are two canals, of which there exists no trace in other 

 domestic animals — viz., the carotid, which traverses the mastoid portion to 

 join the venous canal between the basilar process and temporal ; and another 

 which pierces the petrous portion at the upper part of the carotid canal, and 

 gives passage to the fifth pair of nerves. The sphenoid bone resembles that of 

 man ; its posterior part is short, and presents two large wings, which mount to 

 the temporal fossae, the anterior j^art being straight, and prolonged by small 

 wings. The pterygoid processes are vei'v short, the pituitary fossa limited by 

 the clinoid processes. The ethmoid bone presents, very deep fossae and well- 

 developed volutes. 



The nasal bones are small, narrow, but w^ider in front, presenting a semi- 

 circular concavity, instead of a peak. The suiKrior maxilla is short, but strong, 

 differing, as all the facial bones do, with the breed; it articulates by a long 

 process with the frontal, forms partly the socket for the canine tooth, and is 

 spineless. The 2yi'emaxilla is short, and presents a small foramen incisivum, 

 which is often wanting in the cat, alveoli for the incisors, and an oval incisive 

 opening. The lachrymal is small, and in the cat confined to the orbital cavity. 

 The malar bone articulates in the usual manner, while its zygomatic process is 

 large, and curved outwards, and its summit bifid, the arclies being formed very 

 similarly to those in the omnivora. The 'palatine bones form about a third of 

 the palate ; they do not assist in the formation of the sphenoidal, but furnish 

 a small portion of the maxillary sinuses. The pterygoids are strong and 

 quadrilateral. Tlie turhinals extend to the anterior nares ; they are remark- 

 able for the number of their convolutions, but do not assist in the formation of 

 the frontal and maxillary sinuses. 



The inferior maxilla, is strong, its rami broad and large, presenting a deep 

 depression on the postero-external aspect, in which is inserted the masseter 

 muscle. The condyles are ovoid transversely, and the coronoid processes long 

 and broad, the sigmoid notch very deep, the labial foramen double or triple, 

 and there are no interdental spaces. There is a tubercle at the angle for 

 the insertion of the stylo-maxillaris muscle. The symj^hysis rarely becomes 

 ossified. 



The hyoid bone is triple — i.e., its three elements do not unite. It has two 

 cornua and four cornicula, the cornua being united to the temporal bones by 

 elastic ligaments. 



VERTEBRA. 



The true vertebral column consists of 27 segments — 7 cervical, 13 dorsal, 

 and 7 lumbar. The cervical vertebrae in carnivora are proportionally as large 

 as those of the horse. The atlas possesses large and expanded alpe ; a groove 

 or notch takes the place of the anterior foramen, and the posterior foramen is 

 present ; the posterior articulation, instead of being flat, lias glenoid cavities, 

 the surface inside the ring, for the odontoid process, being continuous with 

 them. The axis is long, its neural spine single and prominent, overlapping 

 and sometimes articulating with the atlas, thereby completely occluding the 

 atlo-axoid space ; the odontoid process is long, convex on all its surfaces, pointed 

 anteriorly, and more nearly resembles that of man than does that of any other 

 domestic animal ; it serves as a pivot, on which the head and atlas freely 



