THE BONES OF THE HEAD. 301 



direction, in the sheep, just above the orbit, they form almost 

 a right angle. 



The nasal bones are much less developed in the sheep 

 than in the horse. 



The superior maxillary bones, though relatively smaller 

 than in the horse, yet form a great portion of the face, ex- 

 tending the whole length of the molar teeth, for which these 

 bones form suitable sockets, and laterally from the molar 

 teeth to the frontal and nasal bones. Within the cavity of 

 the mouth these bones form the roof of the palate, being 

 united together by a suture. This portion of these bones is 

 wider though shorter than in the horse, so that the molar 

 teeth are farther apart, and the mouth thus gains in width 

 what it loses in length. Thus situated, these bones have 

 three surfaces — the facial, the nasal, and the palatine. At 

 the superior part of their palatine surface we find what are 

 called the palate bones, which, in the horse, chiefly consist of 

 narrow curved bones, forming tosfether the semi-oval border 

 dividing the cavity of the mouth from that of the nostril, and 

 serving for the attachment of the soft palate. In the sheep, 

 however, these bones extend further down into the mouth, 

 and form, indeed, a portion of the palate, which, in the horse, 

 is formed of the maxillary. The border, too, instead of 

 being nearly semi-circular, is almost conical, from being so 

 very narrow. The consequence of this structure is, that the 

 upper entrance to the cavity of the nostrils is much less in 

 proportion than in the horse, and the soft palate is less de- 

 veloped, so as not to close the cavity of the mouth. The 

 nature of the sheep corresponds with this structure : not 

 being an animal of speed, it does not require to inhale so 

 much atmospheric air ; and the purposes of rumination re- 

 quire the food to ascend from the stomach to the mouth, 

 which it could not do if the soft palate were developed, as in 

 the horse, where it closes the back part of the mouth, except 

 when food is passing from the mouth towards the stomach. 



The anterior or inferior maxillary bones, which are want- 

 ing in the human subject, are attached above to the superior 

 maxillary bones, and thence descending and enlarging, in the 

 horse form the sockets of the upper incisor teeth, but in the 

 sheep and other ruminating animals not possessing these 

 teeth, they become smaller instead of larger as they descend, 

 merely forming the basis of the hard pad which meets the 

 under incisor teeth. 



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