258 



PROF. HUXLEY ON THE CRANIAL AND 



[Apr. G. 



mandible is very strong, thickened, and more or less incurved at its 

 free margin. The angular process is strong, and projects inwardly 

 as a horizontal shelf-like prominence, which is concave above, so 

 that it somewhat resembles the bowl of a spoon (fig. 14, C, p. 263). 

 The posterior margin of the bony palate lies considerably behind 

 the line of the hindmost molars. The line of the cheek-teeth is not 

 angulated at the junction of the upper sectorial with the first molar, 

 but nearly straight and almost parallel with that of the opposite side 

 (fig. 13, B, p. 260). The incisive foramina are prolonged forwards 

 into deep grooves on the palatal surfaces of the prsemaxillse. The 



Fig. 12. 



Lateral view of the skull of Otocyon lalandii : | nat. size. 



incisor teeth have different proportions from those of ordinary 

 Canidae, the outer being relatively smaller and less different from the 

 rest. The outer upper incisor, on each side, is separated by an 

 interval from the second. 



The great difference between Otocyon and all the other Canidse, 

 however, lies not merely in the increased number of the molar teeth, 

 but in the proportions of the teeth to the basicranial axis and to one 

 another, and in the low development of the jaws. The following 

 table gives the average of three of the skulls : — 



Table IX. — Proportional Measurements of the Skull and Teeth 



in Otocyon. 



Basicranial axis 100 (average absolute length 42 mm.). 



Length of ^-^^ 12.7 



^ 13-4 



^^ 11-8 



