452 DR. J. MURIE ON SAIGA TARTARICA. [June 9, 
to 42 vertebrae, the last, however, being a mere diminutive ossicle. 
Pallas* states that there are 5 lumbar vertebree, without mentioning 
how many are in the tail. 
In a very complete and excellently mounted skeleton}, in the Col- 
lege of Surgeons’ Museum, of an adult Saiga, wild, or procured in 
its native haunts, I find that there but 11 caudal vertebre, the final 
2, as above, being ossified bodies of very minute size. The other 
vertebral regions agree with what has been mentioned as existing in 
the Society’s animal. 
The cervical vertebrz (fig. 1), possess characters by which in- 
dividually they can readily be distinguished the one from the other. 
Their long diameters are unequal, as are those of the spinous and 
other processes. 
Hichd: 

The cervical vertebrxe, about one-third their natural dimensions. 
I., VIL. First and seventh vertebrae. vf. Vertebral foramen of atlas. pl. Ru- 
dimentary pleurapophyses of axis and third vertebra. hyp. Hyperapophyses 
or bifid spine-tubercles of second, third, and fourth cervicals, qm. Fourth, 
fifth, and sixth metapophysial elements. 7. First rib-facet. 
But to proceed seriatim with the Society’s male specimen, the atlas 
is remarkable on account of the great lengthening of the tranverse 
processes. ‘These are somewhat flattened from above downwards, 
directed obliquely outwards and backwards, terminating in a rough- 
ened slightly bulbous manner. From tip to tip they measure 33 
inches. The spinous process is well nigh obsolete, with deepish 
muscular depressions in front; the laminz posteriorly have a low 
broad arch. The anterior shallow articulating surface presnts to 
the eye a crown-shaped outline, the lower and somewhat obliquely 
backwardly descending articulating surface of the concavity being 
mesially divided by a sharp ridge, so that the facets move on the 
post-basioccipital processes when the head is bent downwards. The 
* Op. cit. p. 45. 
+ This male skeleton (No. 3729 a, interleaved Catalogue) is stated to have 
been obtained in South Russia, and purchased of Herr Méschler, 2nd October, 
1867. 
